


Message Not Sent

by Vorsakh



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Dick Pics, Drunk Texting, Fantasizing, M/M, Masturbation, Misunderstandings, Phone Sex, Pining, Sexting, Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-10 04:38:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13495102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorsakh/pseuds/Vorsakh
Summary: The Thiam sexting fic no one asked for! Dick pics, selfies, and two idiots in love.





	1. one

Work was extremely slow that night, Theo had to ring just a handful of items since his shift at the rest stop shop started four hours ago and time crawled by slowly without customers to distract him.

Theo scrolled through his phone, both elbows on the counter, painting the perfect image of a bored teenager. He read through the pack chat (he still wasn’t sure how he agreed to be in it, probably something to do with Liam’s puppy eyes begging him to partake in more pack activities) and his Twitter feed, but nothing managed to catch his attention.

He was distracted for a few moments by a clearly drunk group of teens coming into the shop, eyes narrowing and quietly daring them to break something. He eventually had to kick them out physically and when he returned to the counter he found a new text message from Liam.

_u @ work?_

Theo checked the time and frowned. It was two thirty on a school night, why was Liam up and texting him? Did something happen?Theo’s breath hitched at that. Liam was joking, teasing, but he couldn’t control his body’s reaction to the thought of Liam missing him. They saw each other that same morning and while Theo did miss Liam like he did every fucking moment they were apart, that was because Theo was a fool and somehow managed to get so dependently attached to the younger boy he couldn’t stand being away from him for more than a few hours.

He took too long to reply and Liam sent another text.

Theo hit sent and bit his lip, instantly regretting the message. Liam had a habit of taking things the wrong way and he could see the beta taking insult in his words.

_whatever. srry to bother u ur highness_

Theo sighed and rolled his eyes. Liam could be so predictable sometimes. 

Theo bit his lip again, this time to try and stop the silly grin taking over his face. This conversation had absolutely no purpose but he cherished these moments, craving whatever attention Liam threw his way.

He was a lovesick fool. He knew that, the people around him knew that, maybe even Liam knew that but was too nice to mention it. He had time to come to peace with the situation, knowing there was nothing he could do to change that. He had tried.

Theo hesitated. He would sometimes visit Liam’s home, but never by himself and never so late at night. Liam was probably the friendliest towards him out of the pack but that didn’t make them  _friends_. Playing video games in the middle of the night? That wasn’t something Theo was used to.

None of this was what he was used to, but his life had taken a lot of turns lately and he took pride in his abilities to adapt. He was also pathetic and would do anything Liam asked him to.

Theo rolled his eyes. Typical.


	2. two

The next time Liam texted him was almost a week later. Theo was home this time (if you could call a one bedroom in a moldy basement a home, which he did so fuck you), enjoying his day off and lazing around on the couch he got from Derek when the werewolf decided it was time to give his creepy loft a makeover. His phone pinged and he grabbed it from the coffee table with his eyes closed, resting it on his stomach for a moment before sitting up and sliding the screen open.

“Come over,” he mouthed with a snort. The little beta saw himself like Theo’s alpha or something? Ordering him around like that. He ignored the text and put his phone back on the table, closing his eyes and lying down again.

His phones pinged a couple more times and Theo tried to ignore it. A feeling of dread settled low in his guts but he didn’t pick up the phone. If Liam needed something he’ll call and ask like a normal person. Theo is not his dog to come running every time he asked.

Another ping and Theo groaned loudly, his resolve breaking because  _of course_. Jesus, he had no self-respect left. He picked up the phone again and read Liam’s texts. The first two messages were words but the third…

Theo swallowed thickly, feeling dizzy. What the hell was going on? Why was- what is- Liam? His eyes raked over the image, abs and tanned skin and hip bones making him so confused and light-headed. But then his brain came back online and he noticed the gash on Liam’s hip, the skin around it blackened and swollen.

That idiot got himself stabbed with a poisoned blade. On Theo’s only day off in a month. Before midday. Great.

* * *

It becomes a thing because Theo can’t live a quiet life. Liam would text him at random hours, most of the time making fucking  _small talk_. Sometimes just asking about Theo’s day or ranting about school and lacrosse. Other times would be weirder, with Liam sending him pictures of  _trees_ he found pretty.

There was something going on, Theo knew it. Liam was… building trust or something, working towards a goal. Waiting for the right moment. Theo recognizes his moves because it’s something he would have done himself.

The fact that he has absolutely no idea what Liam could even want bothers him a little, but he won’t let it distract him. He’s patient, he can play along with Liam’s little game for now, but he won’t let himself be fooled.

Whatever it is, he’s going to be ready for it. He’ll wait and he’ll be cautious and he’ll look for Liam’s weaknesses, find flaws in his plan. He will be ready for it.

Of course, he wasn’t ready for it. Not at all.


	3. three

Theo was laying on his extremely uncomfortable mattress, feeling sleep taking over him. For some reason he was fighting to stay awake, despite the exhaustion he felt from working a double shift. Something was keeping him up.

He blinked slowly and turned his head to the side, glaring at his phone that was placed screen down on the pillow next to his head, as if the device was responsible for all his suffering. He growled lowly and picked it up, thumbing the screen open and opening the messaging app.

All their interactions lately started with Liam. Maybe it’s time he made the first move. Before he could change his mind, he fired Liam a quick text, receiving a reply almost immediately.

  
  
  


Theo’s breath hitched. What the hell. Shit shit shit. Why was Liam- describing his jerking off methods?! This needs to stop right now. Theo stopped breathing, staring wide-eyed at the words, sleep and exhaustion completely forgotten.

The last message came after a long pause and Theo thought Liam fell asleep and he was saved. Theo should stop this, ignore his phone and go to sleep. Maybe yell at Liam the next time he sees him. He shouldn’t reply back, he shouldn’t let this conversation go any further, he shouldn’t…

What the hell was going on?! That’s- no. No way. Either Liam or his mind is playing tricks on him. Theo was just…too tired and he let Liam’s little joke get out of hand. He sent a scathing  _‘screw you dunbar’_ and shut down his phone, throwing it away and angrily pulling the covers over his body. He quickly fell into a deep, uncomfortable sleep, the air around him drenched with a concoction of clashing emotions.

* * *

Theo groaned, the sunlight waking him up. Sunlight…

He groaned again and flew out of bed, quickly getting dressed. By angrily shutting down his phone the previous night, he also shut down his alarm and now he was late for work. What a great start to another shitty day. 

He didn’t bother to take a shower or turn on his phone, grabbing it and his car keys before making his way to work. He drove well above the speed limit, he’d rather risk a ticket than losing the only job he could find. He couldn’t afford losing it, the thought of living out of his truck again making his eyes sting with angry tears.

Luckily he didn’t get in  _too much_  trouble for being late and after a few apologies he’s back behind the counter. He placed his still turned off phone in front of him, debating whether to turn it on or leave it shut down. The thought of Liam (or anyone else in the pack, at this point) getting into trouble and not being able to call him made him nauseous and he quickly turned it on. God, he was soft.

Immediately his phone pinged several times with unread messages and missed calls, all from Liam. 

Theo felt unease. These were just words but Liam’s apology felt sincere. He didn’t like the thought of making Liam upset but he couldn’t find the words to reply. Should he just brush it off, ignore whatever last night was? Or should he ask for an explanation? Last night he was sure it was a stupid joke, but Liam’s words made him think there’s something more to this.

Theo is not brave. He never claimed to be and he’s not going to start now.

_its ok little wolf. im at work. have a good day_

There. That should do it. Liam will probably stop texting him and their interactions will once again be limited to pack business. Maybe that’s the way it should be. Theo doesn’t deserve anything else.


	4. four

Liam doesn’t stop texting him but for a while it goes on like before, pointless conversations that never fail to leave Theo with a warm feeling he has no idea what to do with. He also can’t stop thinking about that one night their texting took a different turn. Liam was right, he did cross a line, but Theo couldn’t stop wondering if he’s meant it, what he was asking of Theo.

It was actually becoming a problem. Theo works most of his time, but at night (or morning, whenever his shift ends and he has time to sleep) he lays awake and thinks about Liam doing the same in his bed on the other side of town. Before, most of his thoughts about Liam were innocent. His warm scent, the light in his bright blue eyes, the way his face scrunched up when he laughed, his strong determination. All qualities Theo couldn’t help but admire from afar.

But now? The seed was planted and as much as he tried he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering. What would have happened if they kept going that night? What if it really wasn’t just a cruel joke? What if’s were pointless, he knew that but  _what if_  he had sent Liam a picture? He blushed slightly at the thought of even taking it. He’s not innocent and not a prude but he never thought someone would ask for his picture with the purpose of- 

No. He’s not going there. He’s not going to spend another night thinking about Liam laying in bed, touching himself, running his hands over tanned skin and dark hair. He’s not going to wonder if Liam is thinking about him and he’s definitely, absolutely not going to touch himself, grab his cock and feel it swell in his hand, tug and rub until his toes curl and Liam’s name escapes his lips. He won’t.

* * *

Scott texted him about the pack meeting. It’s a mandatory one, usually once every two to three weeks. Theo knows they have their pack nights more often but he wants nothing to do with that, not that anyone wants him there. 

Tonight though, he knows he needs to be there. He went for a run two nights before, sensing the woods were restless. Something was in Beacon Hills and it shouldn’t be there. 

He entered the animal clinic and made his way to Liam’s side instinctively. His earlier reservations about seeing Liam for the first time in nearly a month forgotten momentarily, his body seeking refuge with the one person in the room he felt safe with. No one paid him any special attention, Scott greeted him with a nod before leaving the room, saying something about picking up Stiles and Lydia. Most of the pack are not even present yet and Theo let his body relax.

Only then he noticed the tense presence of Liam by his side, shoulders squared and eyes down. Theo looked around and noticed Mason throwing them a weird look, but other than that no one seemed to notice the aura of tension coming from the beta. Not necessarily surprising considering the only people in the room with them were Mason, Corey, Deaton, and Malia, who just didn’t seem to care about reading other people’s chemosignals.

Liam was tense because whatever it was that was going on between them. Theo should’ve known things weren’t back to normal. He couldn’t even keep whatever civil relationship he had with Liam from crumbling. He felt like growling, felt like clawing his eyes out in frustration, felt like crying because it wasn’t fair. He didn’t do anything wrong this time. Liam had no right being mad at him for- what? Not providing spank bank material?

On the outside, he kept his usual blank mask in place, but he couldn’t quite control his racing heartbeat and the sharp pain of anxiety. He wanted to be the bigger man, ask Liam what his problem was and make it stop, but before he could open his mouth the rest of the pack came into the room. No time for that right now.

* * *

Turns out the foreign presence in the woods was a wolf. An actual wolf, injured and sick that apparently ran away from the property of a crazy rich guy who thought that keeping wild animals as  _pets_ was a good idea. The wolf didn’t make it, he wasn’t used to living in the wild, and Theo’s inner wolf let out a painful whine as Deaton put the beast out of its misery. 

He had to get away, he had to go home. With the unexpected pain of watching the large grey wolf take his last breath and the tension still radiating off Liam Theo’s emotions were all over the place. He’s not stable, not in control like this and he can’t afford this vulnerability right now. 

He made his way home quickly, texting his boss on the way to take the day off. He’ll spend it in bed, watching stupid feel-good movies and eating ice cream. Jesus, if only past Theo could see himself right now.

He barely made his way into his room when his phone pinged. Theo pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. If that little shit Liam thought he could ignore Theo all morning and then just text him like nothing’s wrong-

  


Theo didn’t bother to keep replying or take Liam’s calls. Liam should know better than lying to him like that. Fuck him. Fuck him and this pack and this entire day. Theo is going to sleep all day and ignore his phone and the people who only contact him when they need something from him. He never considered Liam to be one of them, but here they were. Liam was the same as anyone else.

* * *

Theo forgot just how stubborn could Liam be. He woke up with a jolt, claws coming out to defend himself, turning around to catch the intruder in his room, except-

“What the fuck are you doing here, Liam?” he asked, willing his heart to slow down.

“You didn’t pick up the phone,” Liam whined. Theo still found it cute when he did that. He’s disgusted by himself.

“Of course, I don’t want to talk to you so the logical thing to do is break into my home?” he asked, standing up from the bed and picking up a t-shirt from the floor, pulling it on with jerky moves.

Liam’s eyes tracked his movements and when Theo turned around to face him he found the beta pouting at him, eyes wide and so blue. Fuck.

“I came here to apologize! And I thought we could do something together. I don’t, Theo listen to me, I don’t have a problem with you. I’m sorry,” Theo felt himself relax slightly. Liam wasn’t lying to him. Maybe he was just being dramatic, jumping to conclusions. 

He studied the beta for a few moments before sighing deeply. “Okay, what do you want to do?” he asked. Liam’s face broke into a grin and he grabbed Theo’s arm, dragging him out to the living area.

Seriously, this boy was so weird. And Theo was in love with him.


	5. five

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Theo exclaimed loudly, sleep once again interrupted by his phone. He’s been receiving illegible texts from Liam for the past two hours. At first, he was worried the beta was in danger, his heart racing as he tried calling Liam. When he picked up it was obvious Liam wasn’t hurt but drunk. Theo groaned at the loud noise of music and Liam’s  _giggles_ and hung up, receiving a text from Mason not a minute later, explaining how Stiles mixed wolfsbane into Liam’s drinks and promising to keep his phone away for the rest of the night.

He obviously did a lousy job, since Liam was still messaging him. Theo had no idea what the texts said since he threw the phone off the bed in a fit of tired rage. He should probably mute his phone. That’s the first thing he should’ve done as soon as he realized nothing was actually wrong, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He stopped questioning himself and the irrational way he acted when it came to Liam a while ago.

“Please stop,” he muttered as several more pings broke the silence in his room. He groaned, throwing the covers away from his body and picking up the phone from the floor. As expected most of the messages consisted of drunken babbling, some he couldn’t even begin to translate. He scrolled down, trying to figure out how the beta even managed to get drunk while texting him the  _entire night_. The several last messages seem to suggest Liam got home safe, judging by the words parents (prtns) and room (rooome), but the last one…

A sense of Deja Vu came over him, bleary eyes suddenly focused on the attached photo. This time the mouth-watering image of Liam’s smooth skin and muscled belly was uninterrupted by the danger of stab injuries. The view was even better, Liam was standing, stretched, his jeans and boxers riding dangerously low. He was so focused on the image he barely noticed Liam the new texts.

  


Theo has several questions himself. First, how did Liam managed to spell the word ‘question’ correctly, but failed with ‘was’? Second, what made him think it’s a good idea to get blackout drunk the first time he drank spiked alcohol?  And, most importantly, why the hell was he torturing Theo like this?! He thought they were over this, or at least pretending, he didn’t need Liam awakening this guilty heat low in his belly. He didn’t need another sleepless night thinking about what Liam smells like up close, what his warm skin tastes like and the sounds he makes when he’s being touched.

He clenched his fists to stop himself from replying or, Jesus, calling Liam but then, because the universe hates him, he gets an incoming call from the beta. He’s debating whether to answer it or let the call go to voicemail. The phone is vibrating softly, dulled by the sheets, 'bby wolf’ flashing on the screen. He picked up on the last ring, bringing the phone to his ear but not daring to make a sound.

“Theo?” Liam sounded breathless, his speech slightly slurred.

“Yeah?” he whispered, swallowing thickly.

He received a moan in answer, the sound like a punch in his guts. He strained his hearing to pick up more sounds; Liam soft breaths, the rasp of his body on the sheets, a wet repetitive sound.

Fuck.

_“Theo,”_  his voice was higher, still as breathless if not more.

Theo’s mouth was completely dry and his lips felt chapped. He knew he should hang up, if not for his own sanity then for the fact that Liam was clearly still drunk, but he just couldn’t. Guilt and self-doubt making way to painful arousal. 

Liam whined, actually  _whined_ and Theo bit back his own answering moan. His cock got so hard so fast it was making him lightheaded. “Please, I can’t, I can’t,” Liam begged, his breaths sounding harsh through the receiver.

“Wh-what?” he coughed out.

“Fuck…you don’t,” Liam was cut off by a soft moan, “you don’t even  _know_.”

“What- Liam, what?” Theo asked, sitting helplessly on his bed, listening to the sounds Liam was making as he undoubtedly touched himself. While on the phone with Theo.

Liam let out a breathless laugh, almost a giggle again and Theo was reminded that the younger boy was drunk and Theo- he’s an asshole, but he’s trying, he’s not going to take advantage of Liam like that. Still, he couldn’t hang up or make Liam stop. Instead, he sat alone in his room, cock hard and trapped painfully in his sweats. He didn’t make a move to touch himself, but oh, he wanted to. Liam’s moans and grunts fueling the fire in his groin, making it so hard to hold back. 

It wasn’t long before Liam’s moans turned into soundless gasps and Theo was worried he was actually going to come like this, completely untouched, brought to completion just by listening to Liam jerk off. He squeezed his eyes tight and clenched his fist, claws digging into his palm, as Liam gasped out his name one last time before groaning loudly. 

They both breathed harshly, the metallic scent of blood doing little to calm Theo’s racing heart and throbbing cock. Was he- supposed to say something? Now is the time to hung up, probably. Definitely. He didn’t.

“Theo,” Liam whispered so quietly Theo was sure he wouldn’t be able to hear it without his enhanced hearing. “Night,” he said before the line went dead.

Theo put his phone down, staring at the screen. He was afraid to move, his entire body felt on edge and the pain in his cock was unbearable. 

His phone lit up with a new message, from Liam of course, and he opened the messaging up slowly, almost afraid of what he’ll find there.

He was seriously fucked. 


	6. six

Theo had never felt so sexually frustrated in his life, and he spent his high-school years living with the Dread Doctors. Every time he closed his eyes he could hear Liam’s groans and pants, his sweet moans and the way his breath hitched when he finally came. He wouldn’t let himself jerk off to the memory, he wouldn’t break, no matter how much he wanted to.

What he needed to do was to plan. Theo was good at planning and Liam was such an easy target. He just needs to find the right time, the right words and most importantly take the right picture.

The last part was the trickiest and Theo was ashamed to admit he spent the entire morning trying to catch the perfect shot. He felt ridiculously self-conscious as he swiped through the photos on his phone, finding them all lacking. Most of them just looked…unnatural, his pose too stiff. He huffed and thumped his head back against the bed. If Liam managed to do it while  _drunk_ , why couldn’t Theo take a decent photo?

He opened the gallery on his phone, swiping between the two pictures Liam had sent him. The memory of burning the wolfsbane out of Liam’s injury made him slightly nauseous so he swiped back to the latest picture. His eyes drank every detail they could find; the veins bulging on Liam’s arms, the plains and valleys of his muscled torso. His hand slid down his own chest and torso unconsciously, eyes still glued to the screen. He huffed a breath at the feeling of his own hand teasing the bulge in his pants. He promised himself he wouldn’t do this but…it just wasn’t fair. He froze for a moment, looking down at himself and grinning.

He opened the camera app, raised the phone and snapped a quick picture. Finally, he managed to take the perfect shot, his abs and pecs standing out, his boxers peeking through his pants. It was…pretty hot, he had to admit. Now he could put the rest of the plan into motion.

One way or another, he’ll have his answer. Either Liam will freak out or actually talk to him about whatever the fuck is going on. But this bubble had to burst, Theo just hoped no one would get hurt in the process.

He looked down again, fingers still dancing over his covered cock. Fuck it, Theo was no saint. He’s totally going to jerk off over Liam.

* * *

He chose the same afternoon to send the picture. He was tired of waiting. He also knew Liam had a long day at school, and by the time he would be out Theo will be at work. He had quite a few hours to be safe from the angry beta. And Liam would get angry, no doubt, Theo just wasn’t sure for what reason yet.

He gulped as he opened the messaging app, debating whether to add anything. Would ‘thinking about you’ be too cliché? Probably. Did he care though? It would help to get the message through. It would also be really embarrassing if this all backfired on him.

Fuck it, he’s feeling reckless today.

He hit send with the last drop of courage he had and dropped his phone as far away from him as he could, his cheeks heating up. Now it was time to wait.

The next fifteen minutes were torture, his nerves were all over the place. He used his anxious energy to speed clean the apartment, stopping to breathe as his phone pinged several times in quick succession. He took a deep breath and held it to still himself before picking up the phone. His breath left him with a relieved laugh. Oh, Liam was angry as expected, but Theo would say he sounded more frustrated than anything. Served him right.

Victory felt good but Theo’s luck never ran that long. Twenty minutes into his shift he received another message from Liam, the notification bar letting him know there’s an image attached. He really shouldn’t open it at work, there was only one customer present but Theo was more worried about his body’s reaction. He actually managed to hold back for six whole minutes but as soon as he was alone he grabbed his phone again and opened the message, tensing with anticipation.

Fuck. Fuck Liam and- and his stupid fucking jeans. Okay, Theo couldn’t focus right now, not while knowing Liam got hard at  _school_ , probably  _during class_ , because of him. Just…fuck him. This means war.

Theo didn’t reply. He’ll need to think through his next steps carefully. He can’t just let Liam get away with pulling shit like that. In the meantime he’ll sit here and zoom into the picture once or twice, eyes squinting at the image.

* * *

Honestly, Theo was perfectly fine before this… _thing_  started. He’ll go to work, sleep in his cold empty room. Occasionally help out the pack ( _the_  pack, Liam’s pack, never his) when called. Sometimes spend a few hours at Liam’s with Mason and Corey. During those times he’ll keep mostly to himself, happy to just be in the presence of other people, happy to watch Liam smile and laugh and interact with his friends.

He’ll go home on those days feeling lighter, his wolf soothed by the scent of pack clinging to his clothes.

Nowadays he’ll sit in Liam’s living room with  _knowledge_  of how the beta sounds when he comes. He’ll look at him and find Liam watching him back. They don’t say a thing but the dark look in Liam’s blue eyes is enough for Theo to know what he’s thinking about. It's…thrilling. There are other people around them, Liam’s friends, but Liam’s looking at him with a heated stare, eyes trailing low to rest on Theo’s groin.

Nowadays when he’s back home he’ll lay on his bed, run his fingers down his chest and rub his nipples. He’ll touch himself with the memory of Liam’s dark eyes on him. He’ll wonder if Liam liked that picture he sent him, if Liam likes the way he looks. He’s pretty sure he does.

After he’ll cum, he’ll wonder if Liam likes more than just his looks.


	7. seven

Despite what some people (Stiles) might think, Theo is not completely clueless about normal teenage life. No, he never actually experienced it firsthand, occasionally enrolling into various high schools across the country only to keep up the pretense of a normal life and then leaving after a few weeks, but he managed to take enough glimpses into the lives of other kids his age to know whatever it is they’re doing is  _weird_  but not abnormal.

Teenagers are reckless, they make mistakes; they do drugs, sleep with people they hate. All ill-advised actions that come with a price but also a certain thrill that is just so addicting.

So, that’s what they’re doing. He’s not  _sleeping_  with Liam, no, and he wouldn’t call it a mistake since Liam- Liam should never be called a mistake. But it’s still something risky and stupid that will definitely bite them in the ass sooner rather than late but he can’t stop. Not when he keeps receiving dirty messages and even dirtier looks. He’ll take whatever attention he can get from Liam.

They never mention it face to face, but it’s  _there_ ; in Liam’s intense gaze as he follows Theo around the room, in the way he licks his lips slowly. It’s there when Liam acts all innocent baby beta around others, even around Theo, but later at night lets Theo know just how bad he  _wants_ him, using words and tiny images on his phone screen.

Not in a million years he would have thought he’ll be  _sexting_  Liam, touching himself to imaginary scenarios painted by Liam’s words, but here they are. And while it still feels like a game sometimes, a competition, it’s also something Theo is not willing to let go, not yet. He’s scared of losing, of  _losing Liam_ , but he had a taste and he wants  _more_.

* * *

Their texting is definitely more…bold now. They don’t shy away from using filthy, filthy language (well, Liam doesn’t, surprisingly. Theo is still getting used to it) and the pictures they take are significantly more pornographic.

Theo looks good, he knows that, Liam knows that, everyone in this town who is not blind or that old lady down the street that sneers at him every time she sees him knows that. But still, taking these pictures always takes such a long time, so much effort put into trying to make them look natural when that’s the last thing they are. He’ll worry about becoming even more of a narcissist if not for the mortification he feels every time he opens his phone gallery and finds these pictures of himself. 

He also worries about becoming a sex addict with the number of times he jerked off since this started, not to mention his Pavlovian reaction to the chime of a new message, but honestly- it feels too good to worry about right now.

* * *

“Shit, baby wolf,” he muttered, looking at the illuminated screen, pupils dilated from staring at the source of light for so long.

Liam is playing dirty. He didn’t caption the picture he sent, there was no need to. Theo was treated to the view of Liam’s jeans-clad legs, unzipped with a hint of his uncovered, hard cock showing between the folds. Well, maybe more than a  _hint_ , but it was still just a fraction of the hardness he knew was hiding in there. His imagination was running wild with this. He wondered if this is how Liam went to school today; wearing ripped jeans and no underwear and planning to fuck Theo up.

Theo needed to retaliate. To up the scales and throw a curve ball at Liam. The thought of sending a picture of his exposed cock out there is sort of terrifying, and he will definitely blush through the process, but this is information Liam does not need to be privy too. For now, he’ll use his words, not being able to stop himself but try to rile the angry wolf up, but when Liam least expects it he’ll make his move.

He hit send and laughed at the fast reply he received. Liam is so easy.

* * *

Turns out, he didn’t even need to get his cock out just yet. Liam  _tried_ , he really did, and Theo had to give him credit for being so…brave, to be honest, but all he had achieved was providing Theo with the ammo he needed. He received the text not even an hour before the pack meeting, the one Theo was going to be present at, which meant Liam was either hornier or kinkier than he previously thought. Or maybe both, that could explain a lot.

Theo grinned, breathless and more than a little aroused at the thought of putting his hands on Liam, holding him down and having his way with him. He also felt more like himself, more in his element. He saw an opportunity and seized it, not willing to let Liam have the upper hand again. It felt silly to admit but this was  _fun_.

He rolled his sleeve up, rolling his shoulder back a few times to find the right angle. This was easier, not actually putting his body on display had him much more relaxed than the previous times.

He laughed to himself, pleased with Liam’s reaction. He was about to continue, ask Liam what he was  _doing_ , ask him to describe just how much he liked his arms, the anticipation and arousal making him light-headed and giddy but then, of course, his phone flashed with Scott McCall’s name across the screen.

Theo groaned, losing interest achingly fast and picked up the phone. Beacon Hills never rests, he should have known that. “Theo, get to the preserve as fast as you can,” he wanted to bristle at the order, but the worried panic in Scott’s voice made him agree to meet the pack there and get dressed as fast as he could. He couldn’t help but stop and snicker at just how frustrated Liam must feel right now. Poor little wolf getting his fun time ruined by yet another big bad.

* * *

The threat in the preserve turned out to be a pack of rogue werewolves sacrificing omegas and other supernaturals to the nemeton. They managed to save an elderly werecoyote but the murderous pack ran away. Of course, Scott would not leave it as it his, so used Argent’s resources and any information the werecoyote had to track them down, taking  _Liam_  with him. Yeah, fine, Liam was first beta and will probably replace Scott in the future as the alpha of Beacon Hills’ pack but that didn’t stop Theo from trying to convince them both it was too risky. Liam, stubborn little shit that he is, didn’t listen to reason. And now they were both in fucking Colorado of all places, meeting some of Chris Argent’s hunter buddies and Theo could feel himself falling apart with worry with each passing day.

The pack chat came in handy, Scott or Liam sending updates as often as they could, letting them know they were safe but it wasn’t enough. It took Theo two days to realize he was so agitated not only from worrying about Liam but from  _missing_  him. All messages from him were sent to the pack, none for Theo himself. He didn’t expect to receive  _dick pics_  while Liam was on a risky as hell mission, staying in close-quarters with his alpha, but Theo would have appreciated some sort of acknowledgment that Liam still thought of him, missed him even. He even tried making the first move, swallowing his pride and texting Liam a quick ‘are you okay?’ and receiving a 'yes’ in return. That’s it. One word. Three letters.

By day four Theo felt the familiar self-pity making itself known. Of course Liam wouldn’t text him. Theo was good enough when he wanted to get off, but beyond that? Yeah, Theo could keep dreaming.

Fuck it. Fuck life and fuck Liam for making him  _feel_ , for making him fall for him and making him think there was something between them only to ignore him when he wasn’t  _useful_  enough.

Theo was done. He was done with texting Liam, he was done with coming over and pretending to be friends. He was so fucking done.


	8. eight

Liam was away on the mission for five days. He didn’t even bother letting Theo know he was back in town, leaving him to find out via the pack chat. Again. Why was he even still in it? He’s not pack, these people are not his friends. He is a tool to be used and then thrown away. Nothing had changed.

He thanked whichever deity was out there that he wasn’t  _stupid_  enough to let this get out of control, to actually seek out Liam and have something real with him. He wouldn’t be able to get over that, knowing Liam’s taste and scent and touch only to have it snatched away. His sister’s heart was so strong when it was beating in her chest, but Theo had corrupted it, tainted it with his weakness and mistakes and now it was just too fragile. He couldn’t let it be broken.

It was fine. He’ll be fine. He was used to having nothing. No family, no pack, no friends. He wanted something else, something more. Liam didn’t. That was fine. He’ll keep his distance, save face. This stupid, painful tug in his heart was just…temporary. It will go away soon.

Everything was fine.

He used to be such a good liar, but he can’t fool himself.

* * *

It’s been two days since Liam returned. A week without communication. Theo knew, via the stupid chat once again, that Liam was swamped with school work and grounded by his parents for missing nearly a week of school. Theo felt like an intruder, Liam is sharing these things with his pack, not with him. His thumb hovered over the trashcan sign, trying once again to make himself leave the chat.

He didn’t belong in their lives, not even Liam’s.

Fuck, when will he stop feeling so pathetic over this?

* * *

He missed a pack meeting. He didn’t actually plan too. It was crucial for his own survival in this town to be present in them; either for the information or to keep the careful, breakable alliance he had with the pack, he’s not sure yet. He definitely didn’t plan to give Liam the impression he couldn’t face him. Because that was untrue.

But he did miss the meeting, embarrassingly enough, because he was  _tired_. He was so bone-deep exhausted. His rent was raised the previous month, enough that he considered moving out, but he didn’t actually have the time or money to deal with the process. He’s been taking as many shifts as he could, working nights and overtime, to make ends meet. The crazy working hours and lack of dispensable money resulted in him skipping meals on a regular basis.

Exhaustion plus hunger equals falling into a sleep so deep, neither his alarm nor the three phone calls he received from Scott managed to wake him up. It should worry him, how out of it he was, how unlike himself it is to sleep so deep.

But it was done. He missed the meeting and by the time he woke up it was too late to call Scott back. He debated whether to just wait until morning but eventually sent Scott a message at 3 AM, just on the off chance there was trouble and he was needed.

Ha. Of course he was used as a tool. He practically sold himself as such.

He waited a few more minutes but no reply came. He set his alarm louder and went back to bed, ignoring the sharp sting of hunger and falling back into sleep. Maybe it’s not so bad, working yourself half to death. At least he didn’t see her in his dreams.

* * *

Theo groaned as he woke up, blindly searching for his phone to shut off the alarm. At least it woke him up this time. It took him a few moments to realize the loud chiming wasn’t his alarm clock, but the pings of several rapid messages, making his phone lag a bit.

_Oh, would you look at that_ , he thought bitterly. Liam was finally gracing him with his attention. What is it this time; did he need Theo’s help? Was he shot again? Was he trying to get off?

Theo grit his teeth, clenching his fists to stop himself from sliding his phone open. Theo didn’t have that much self-respect left, but fuck it if he’ll let Liam use him and throw him away like trash.

He watched as the screen flashed with yet another unread message,  _bby wolf_  mocking him. God, why was Theo so stupid? He missed the fucker. He missed the not-friendship they had before. He missed pining over Liam and knowing he won’t ever do anything about it because Liam deserved better. Liam still does, but that didn’t mean he should treat Theo like this. Liam was the one insisting he’d spend time with the beta and his friends, Liam was the one admitting Theo had a place in his own pack. Why couldn’t Liam keep his promises? Either Theo was pack or he wasn’t, it shouldn’t come with a price.

He sucked a breath at that- no, Liam wouldn’t. Theo was hurt, he couldn’t deny that anymore, but he was just being overly dramatic.  _Get over it._ He sighed and picked up his phone, his resolve was never strong when it came to Liam.

Theo felt his anger fade away to a warm feeling in his chest. He didn’t fight it despite the conflicting thoughts and feelings giving him a headache. Liam always worried about him when Theo didn’t answer back or was silent for a few days too long. Honestly, sometimes Theo simply forgot, work and life making the days fly by without noticing. Maybe- maybe Liam was the same? He didn’t mention their time apart, physically or by text messages, so maybe he didn’t notice himself. He was out there on a mission, not sitting at home waiting by the phone like a lovesick fool.

The headache grew stronger. Fuck, was he even supposed to have these pains? He was hurting himself with these thoughts. He needed to breathe, he needed to figure out what is it that he wants. He wasn’t used to feeling this way and he wasn’t acting rationally.

He should probably man up and find Liam, talk to him about this, but the thought of opening up like that made the blood in his veins freeze. Instead, he grabbed an empty duffel bag from under his bed, put on a hoodie and his shoes before leaving the apartment.

It was just after rush hour, everyone already at work or school, so the drive to the preserve would’ve been short, but instead, he ran all the way, not stopping until he was deep enough in the woods that he couldn’t hear any human heartbeats. He stripped quickly, shoving his clothes into the bag and hanging it on a tree branch. He rolled his shoulders, breathing deeply. The scent of leaves and wildlife, the crackle of magic and the call of the nemeton. That’s all he felt as he shifted. He was free, at ease like this. Just another creature in these woods, protected by the shadows the trees created, warmed by the sun, touched by the wind. He ran until he couldn’t no more, until even his wolf was exhausted, but this time it felt good to fall into sleep, deep in the woods.

He felt no worry, no hunger, no confusion. He let himself forget and simply rest. He didn’t think about the shift he has later that day, he didn’t think about the talk he had to have with Scott, he didn’t think about forgetting to text Liam back.


	9. nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam's POV.

Liam stared at his phone and the countless messages he’d sent since earlier this morning. He was probably just freaking out but he still received no answer and something just felt…wrong. Scott claimed Theo was fine but he wouldn’t elaborate, leaving Liam in the dark as to why Theo was absent from the meeting last night. Liam was actually looking forward to seeing him. Their face-to-face meetings were so rare, and with Liam being away for nearly a week he missed the chimera’s stupid, handsome face.

Liam frowned at that, scrolling up to read through their texts. Checking the date stamps and the one dry reply he sent Theo while on the mission, he realized he didn’t actually talk to him, not even via texts, for  _over a week_. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

He felt like an asshole. He didn’t mean to ignore Theo, he just got caught up in life and school, but he could imagine the absolute rage he’d feel if Theo treated him like that. Unlike him, Theo doesn’t get angry, he just- closes down. Guards his feelings close and off the surface.

No, Liam couldn’t wait for Theo to just show up or answer the phone. He needs to find him. He was hit with the realization that he had no actual clue where Theo even worked. Fuck, what the fuck is he even doing? He was telling himself he was Theo’s friend or…more than that, but that was a lie. He knew nothing about Theo’s life. Thinking back on his behavior with the older boy, he felt even more of an asshole.

He wasn’t Theo’s friend, Theo wouldn’t want that. He’s an idiot and Theo probably realized that and decided to cut Liam out of his life.

He needed to fix this. He got so far, probably the wrong way to do that, but he can’t give up. He doesn’t want to give up on Theo. Whatever it is they can have, he wanted to keep that.

He didn’t know where to start but he couldn’t just sit and wait. He needed to go out there and find Theo, make sure he was truly fine, make sure  _they_  were fine.

* * *

Liam heard the crunch of dry leaves behind him. Turning around, his eyes zeroed in on the black wolf moving slowly into the clearing. He sighed in relief, moving closer to the wolf.

“Thank god! Are you okay? Are you injured?” he asked. He crouched down, burying a hand in the dense fur of Theo’s back, looking for any signs of injury.

“Why are you shifted? I can’t tell if you’re hurt like this,” he sighed, absentmindedly scratching behind the wolf’s ears. That earned him a playful nip on his fingers, the message clear;  _I’m not a dog._

“You had me worried, you didn’t answer your phone,” Liam said quietly, removing his hand. The wolf whined miserably at the guilt and sorrow coming from the blue-eyed werewolf. Liam smiled softly, pressing his hand to the wolf’s snout, earning himself another nip. He moved to sit down fully on the ground, legs crossed.

He patted his thigh expectantly, staring right into the wolf’s golden eyes. Theo hesitated but eventually made his way closer until he could put his head in Liam’s lap, his front paws supporting his head. The warmth helped him relax, burying himself deeper in the boy’s lap, nose pressed into his inner knee. Liam moved his hand back to the wolf’s back, stroking up and down.

“I never noticed how big you are like this,” Liam said. “I’m going to be covered in fur,” he added with a laugh, earning himself a low growl. Liam rolled his eyes and growled back, eyes flashing. The wolf whined, hiding his face in his paws, tail dropping and curling closer to his body. Liam froze at the act of submission, his hand gripping a fistful of fur to ground himself.

They sat in tense silence for a few minutes until the wolf growled and rolled away. Making his way to one of the trees, he jumped up and grabbed the bag that was hanging off a branch with his teeth. Turning around, he stared down at the other boy, still frozen in place.

“Oh!” Liam jumped up after a moment, startled. He turned his back to the wolf, blushing. He could hear movements behind him, the rustle of leaves and then a distinctly human groan. His blush spread wider at the sound and the knowledge Theo was naked behind him.

“I’m decent, baby wolf,” Theo said with a raspy voice.

“Are you really?” Liam jokes as he turned around. Theo was sitting down, leaning against a tree as he pulled his running shoes on. He looked up and smirked at Liam but it was…off. The smile slid off of Liam’s face, a frown replacing it.

He moved forward until he was kneeling in from of Theo, placing his hands on the chimera’s bent knees. He couldn’t decipher the look in Theo’s eyes but he felt it to the bone, chilling and intense.

“Did I fuck up?” he asked, almost whispering. He was afraid of the answer.

Theo sucked in a breath, frowning in slight confusion. He didn’t say a word though, just kept staring at Liam. Liam was about to remove his hands but Theo surprised him by placing his own hands on top, trapping Liam’s between his palms and knees.

“You’re not barking right now, you can answer me instead of letting me talk to myself like an idiot.”

“Wolves don’t bark, Liam. What kind of a werewolf are you?” Theo rolled his eyes, his palms pressing harder down on Liam’s hands. “As you can see, I’m fine.”

Liam didn’t miss him ignoring the question, but he let it slide, mortified at himself for even asking it.

“You missed pack meeting,” he said.

"I’m sorry about that, I talked to Scott already. Honestly, I just fell asleep. It was my bad and it won’t happen again.”

Theo wasn’t lying, but the truth served to worry him even more. He recalled guiltily all those times he texted Theo in the middle of the night. He was so fucking selfish.

“Okay, well. Are you okay then? Why did you shift? You’re not hurt are-”

“Liam! I’m fine, I just went out on a run,” his heart didn’t skip, but Theo’s left eye squinted slightly. Liam had come to realize that was his tell, even when he managed to keep his heartbeat steady. Great, Theo was lying to him, but he was also…looking at Liam  _that way_ , his eyes dark and wide and beautiful. Liam wanted to  _touch_ , he wanted to lean in and taste Theo’s lips and mouth, he wanted to wrap himself around Theo and hold on tightly.

_Not yet,_  he told himself.  _Don’t scare him off._

“Okay, well. You wanna…get some breakfast, maybe? Growing wolves need to eat, you know,” he joked, laughing when Theo kicked out a leg to push him off. He missed the contact, and he landed kinda painfully, but Theo was smiling so it was alright.

_Baby steps,_  he thought.

_Yeah right._

* * *

Things went back to normal, sort of. The ‘normal’ they had before Liam jerked off while on the phone with Theo on the other side of the line. Theo would come over sometimes to watch movies or just hang out, and Liam would feel eyes on him when he wasn’t looking, but that’s all there was. No texts, not  _that kind_  of texts, at least. Liam would have tried again but even he is not that much of an idiot. He had no right, he knew that. And Theo…whatever it was that made him play along before didn’t matter, it was clear he wouldn’t make the first move.

So, imagine his surprise when that’s exactly what Theo did. Made the first fucking move.

  


_Fucking liar,_  he thought fondly, hand creeping to grab himself in his sweats,  _there’s nothing little about this problem._

The picture was…really hot. Theo was really hot but he looked like a porn star like this. The all-black attire, the tight,  _tight_ boxer briefs, the large hand holding his erection through the fabric. It was as if this photo was tailored specifically for Liam, ticking all of his boxes. The fact that Theo simply sent him this without any prompting was the best part. It gave Liam hope.

Well, hope and a hard-on, but that is something he’ll quickly solve. He grinned as he pulled himself out, sitting higher against his headboard. He texted Theo a cheeky  _‘thnx ;)’_  and pulled up the gallery app so he could zoom in on the photo.

He tried imagining how Theo’s cock will look like, hard and uncovered. He’ll have to ask for another photo to find out. The notification bar showed him another message from Theo, reading ‘i asked for help dunbar not gratitudes’ and he laughed, pumping his hand faster. 

Liam is selfish. Theo will have to wait.


	10. ten

Theo snorted at the reply he received, his hand still holding his dick through the black fabric. He focused his hearing to make sure no one was around before shoving his hand down his boxers to grip himself.

It was risky enough to be out here in the woods, he wouldn’t let himself be caught with his pants down. Literally. As much as he wanted to text Liam back and ask what he’s doing, ask for  _proof_ , that’ll just be too distracting. Instead, he types in a classic Theo line and throws his phone down on the backseat floor.

He was restless all day, burning with energy and, worst of all, so fucking hard. But his room smelt wrong, his landlords had guests today and their mixed scents seeped down to the basement, making him feel watched, surrounded by strangers. So, it’s a night spent in the truck for him. It was this desperation he felt all day that drove him to send Liam a photo, to try and re-establish this game they were playing because, honestly, he  _missed_  it.

He’s absentmindedly stroking himself, thinking of Liam,  _always Liam_ , while still debating whether it’s safe to whip his cock out and let go. His truck was a constant in his life for so long, a home, but he did not miss the lack of privacy. With a mournful sigh, he pulled his blanket on one-handed, his left hand still stroking up and down his cock.

He’ll play with himself and give in to fantasies, but he refuses to sleep in cum-soaked boxers. He has some self-restraint left. Some.

* * *

He received a text from Liam the next morning, his phone making a softer chime while it was playing music, but Theo was already conditioned to check his phone immediately. He’s also conditioned to be a little shit and he can’t help but wind Liam up whenever he gets the chance.

  
  


Liam’s begging was ridiculous, everything about Liam was ridiculous, but Theo had a good, healthy imagination. He tried to stop himself but the images of Liam, hard and begging for his cock, are burned into the back of his eyelids.

Control, he needed to be in control. The gym is surprisingly empty but he was still  _in public_. The embarrassment of possibly getting caught with a hard-on is enough to tamper down the heat in his belly but he knew from experience Liam won’t stop. And if Liam kept going…

No. It’s better to give Liam what he wants right now. It doesn’t mean he was losing, this is just a strategic retreat. He felt ridiculous posing for the camera, somehow more embarrassed by this than any of the previous pictures he took for Liam. He tried to fight down his blush as he angled the phone just right, catching his reflection in the mirrored walls.

The things he’ll do for this boy…

  


Theo stopped breathing. This is the most explicit Liam was so far and Theo was still  _in the fucking gym_. God, he had to stop this. He had to get out of here right now. This wasn’t fair _at all_.

Oh. Liam was asking if Theo would be willing to, what, get fucked? Does he have any idea how ridiculous it is to ask such a thing? As if there’s  _anything_ Theo won’t do for Liam. But now is so not the time for this. Theo is hard in his sweats and a few of the regulars have made their way into the gym. He needed to give Liam some sort of an answer before running out.

Should he keep playing? Tease him a bit? Should he just…be honest?

In the end, it was the lack of time to think this through that made him sent a ‘yes’ before throwing his phone into his gym bag and making his way to his truck at a rapid pace.


	11. eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for some hurt!Theo and fluff.

Theo let out an incredulous laugh, falling down onto his bed. Jesus, he told Liam he was willing to get fucked by him. The little beta was making him do things he would never consider doing. But this wasn’t anything new, in fact, this all started pretty much since he got to know Liam.

Putting himself in danger to save someone else? This wasn’t his MO. But here he was, after saving Liam countless times, trusting Liam with his life. In the grand scheme of things, sending dirty pictures and texts doesn’t sound so bad.

He fished out his phone from the bag he threw on the end of the bed. As expected, he opened it to find a new message from Liam. He did so much, opening it should not be this nerve-wracking.

Fuck. Yeah, this is not bad at all.

He’s sort of glad Liam made this next step, honestly, he was tired of this teasing. Not that Theo is going to stop playing this game, but this is taking a nice turn. Coupled with the fact that he’s actually in the privacy of his room this time, Theo finally got the chance to let go and enjoy himself.

He stripped on quickly, kicking his bag to the floor. The bed was too small as it was and he needed the space. God, today was just too much. This entire week was too much. He needed this, needed to unwind and  _let go._

It was so  _easy_ to let go this time, to just fuck into his fist, gasp and moan as loud as he wanted because no one could hear him. No one could hear him moaning Liam’s name. It didn’t take long at all, not with the knowledge that Liam wanted to _fuck him_. God. Liam’s cock looked good, Theo hadn’t done this before but he was sure Liam would feel good.

He came with a loud moan, lips forming around Liam’s name, mind playing the same fantasy over and over again. He fell back, burrowing into his pillows with a contented sigh. This was  _good_ , but it didn’t feel like enough. Not anymore.

* * *

Theo got too used to the relative peace, too comfortable in his daily routine, which is stupid and dangerous in this town. But seriously, hadn’t those hunters learned their lesson? This town was tough, the supernaturals here set to protect it at any cost. Why do they keep trying? Stupid.

Theo would admit the current group they were dealing with was not only stupid but weak and pathetic. They were untrained, acting by impulse, they were pretty outnumbered even. Yeah, he would admit they were pathetic, but that would hurt his pride.

Because one of these fuckers got him, fucking shot him. Fuck.

“Fuck!” he hissed out, eyes clenching from the pain.

“No need for such language, Mr. Raeken. The wound is not too deep, fortunately,” Deaton said calmly. The tweezers he was pushing into Theo’s side felt pretty deep.

Theo bit his lip to contain any more cussing. Deaton can suck it, but only after he will get this fucking bullet out of him.

“Hmm. This one is proving to be a bit of a challenge,” Deaton said. “Lay back, please,” he guided Theo to lay down, his sweaty back meeting the cold metal table.

God, Theo will never live this down. A fucking rookie did this to him. He wasn’t sure if it was the wolfsbane or the blood loss that was making him dizzy, but he could feel himself blacking out, losing consciousness to the steady hum of the fluorescent lights above him.

* * *

Theo woke up to the feeling of fingers running through his hair gently. He blinked, taking in his surroundings. The room he was in was familiar but he couldn’t focus enough to remember whose it was. Or on how did he even get here.

The fingers stopped and Theo whined softly, looking to the side to find Lydia of all people sitting on the edge of the bed.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, removing her fingers from his hair.

He swallowed a few times before answering. “Sore,” he said. And he was, not only his side but every muscle in his body felt sore and overworked.

“Well, Deaton said you’ll be back on your feet in a few days. Congratulations, you discovered a new strain of wolfsbane. That was the reason these hunters tried to take us on. Someone supplied them with a strain Deaton had never heard of before,” she explained. “Derek and Peter are looking into it. The hunters got away and the only sample we had is currently burning through your veins. We now know it makes you delirious and extremely weak, but it doesn’t seem fatal. Not to you, at least,” she said.

“I love being the guinea pig,” he said, blinking up at her, making her purse her lips. “Where- how did I get here?” he asked, finally recognizing the room as Scott’s.

“Deaton said it’s better to have you wake up in a familiar place but we couldn’t find your keys. Scott said staying here should help,” it did, in a way. The scent of alpha was calming, but he would have preferred Liam’s room. It was much more familiar to him. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that she avoided his question, but he’ll let it rest for now. He really hoped no one had to carry him up, but the chances were pretty slim.

“Everyone okay?” he asked. He needed to know.

“Yes. You need to focus on your healing now, nothing else,” she said with a soft smile. Lydia never smiled at him, Lydia never touched his hair either. Maybe he was still delirious.

“Okay,” he said. His eyelids felt heavy and he had no energy left to stay awake so he closed his eyes. He thought he felt her touch his hair again, but at this point, he might as well be dreaming.

* * *

The next time he woke up, he was much more aware. He could feel Liam was close before opening his eyes. He could also scent Scott, but it was faint. He was either in a different room or it has been a while since he was here.

Liam was on him as soon as he opened his eyes, rocking the bed with his weight. “Thank god, are you okay? How are you feeling? Are you in pain?” he bombarded him with questions, making Theo’s ears ring.

“ _Liam_ ,” he hissed, “shut up.”

He tried to sit up but the pain in his side was too sharp, making him gasp and fall back down. Shit. He should’ve healed by now.

“Sorry!” Liam yelped. He bit his lip as he looked over at Theo before moving to lie down on his side, facing the chimera. “I was- we were really worried.”

“I’m fine,” Theo whispered. He closed his eyes as Liam reached over, slipping his fingers under Theo’s shirt. It was his own shirt he was wearing, clean and fresh, but he had not seen it in a while. He couldn’t bring himself to question it as Liam’s cool fingers made contact with his heated skin, touching right at the edge of the gauze holding the bullet wound together.

Black lines appeared on Liam’s skin, pain feeling his veins. Liam didn’t even flinch, his eyes locked on Theo’s face, watching the unease fade away from the chimera’s pinched expression. 

Theo had to admire Liam for his strength.

“You should go back to sleep,” Liam said softly, his fingers still under Theo’s shirt. “Deaton said it will help with the healing.”

“Stay?” Theo asked, tired enough to feel no shame at the request or the vulnerability in his voice.

Liam nodded, moving closer and burying his face in Theo’s neck. He inhaled deeply as his fingers moved to grip Theo’s hip, holding him gently. Liam’s breathing was slightly shaky but his hand felt strong and warm. Once again, Theo felt safe.

This pack has a habit of touching him right before he fell asleep, he thought as Liam placed a soft kiss on his neck.


	12. twelve

Theo rarely felt the pull on the moon, but with the poison still running through his body and lowering his defenses, he felt the upcoming full moon like a newly-bitten beta. It was agony.

After a couple of hours cuddling with Liam (cuddling, seriously) he was able to find enough strength to make his way home, after sending Liam on a mission to retrieve his truck and with it his home keys.

He collapsed on his bed as soon as he entered his room, ignoring Liam who was hovering near the door. The stench of anxiety was tickling his nose so he buried his face further into the pillow, inhaling his own scent instead.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked, still standing in the doorway like a creep.

“I’ll be fine,” Theo answered, words muffled by the pillow. He turned his head to the side so he could see Liam and, well, breathe. “Deaton said I won’t die so-”

“Shut up, you idiot,” Liam said, voice rising as he made his way into the room. “You could have, though! We had no idea what this type of wolfsbane would do and you were- you just- by the time we made it to Deaton’s you were out cold and you were barely breathing and-”

“Liam,” he said, scrambling off the bed to grab Liam’s shoulders. “Now you’re the one who’s not breathing. Relax, breathe with me” Liam looked up at him, chest heaving, cheeks flushed red with anger.

“Sorry, I don’t know…” Liam trailed off, looking down at his shoes.

“It’s okay, I’m fine, we’re fine. Thank you for…worrying.” He slid his hands off Liam’s shoulders and down his arms, reluctant to break contact. Liam shuddered, eyes closing and head tilted to his side, exposing his neck.

That’s when Theo felt it, for the first time, what it’s truly like to be a werewolf. To feel the need to bite and claim, to feel the beast inside his scratching the surface, trying to get out. The sudden flare of arousal he felt had little to do with Liam this time, and everything to do with the full moon the next night.

Liam took a deep breath, no doubt able to scent Theo’s arousal, and shuddered once more. He opened his eyes- pupils blown wide, a striking ring of blue around then, and moved closer but Theo’s hands went back to his shoulders quickly, stopping him. 

“Liam, I should- I should probably rest,” he said, heart beating fast. Was Liam going to kiss him?

“Oh,” Liam said, blinking in confusion. “Oh! Right, yeah! You- you’re healing, right! I’ll- I’ll go home now!”

Theo watched as Liam scrambled away, nearly tripping in his haste to get to the front door, he stopped before leaving, looking back at Theo. His cheeks were still slightly red, but this time from embarrassment.

“I’ll talk to you later okay? Call me if you feel weird or anything, or…Deaton, you could totally call him but call me too so I know and- you know what, never mind, you obviously know- okay, bye now!” and with that Liam threw the door open, running up the stairs to leave Theo’s basement apartment.

Theo made his way back to bed slowly, completely aware of Liam’s scent surrounding him. Even the beta’s tendency to throw up words like an overly excited puppy did little to quench the hunger burning low in his belly. He flopped down on his front, hand snaking in between the mattress and his body. He could feel his fangs cutting through his gums, a growl building deep in his chest as he finally grabbed himself and pulled hard.

It was hard and fast and out of control. It was exactly what his wolf needed, but not what he  _wanted_.

* * *

Liam wasn’t lying when he promised to talk to Theo later. Unfortunately, that consisted of bombardingTheo with texts every half-hour or so, all asking the same question:  _are you okay?_

Theo growled and grabbed his phone, throwing in on the counter as he made his way into the shower, washing away sweat, mud and dried up cum. Another chime from his phone made his growl lowly, throw the curtain aside and grab his phone with a wet hand. A few typed in words and one camera snap later, he finally managed to render Liam speechless (or at least, the texting alternative of it). 

He put down his phone, left hand still holding himself. The full moon was one day away, he could do this. He stopped to think, realizing he’d sent Liam an honest to god  _dick pic_. Well, that’s done, he can’t take it back.

_Might as well just make the most out of it,_ he thought, feeling himself grow steadily harder. Is this how it always was? Did the moon make werewolves horny and sexually frustrated? That was ridiculous, nothing he’d ever learned suggested that but the other option was that it was  _only Theo_ that reacted like this to the pull of the moon and, well…nevermind, it was his life here,  _of course_ he would be the freaky exception.

Well, whatever this is, it gave him one hell of a refractory period, he mused as he thrust into his fist, spiraling towards yet another orgasm.

* * *

He fell asleep soon after, shooting a message to his employer to take a few days off. He’ll have to work his ass later but between the full moon and the wolfsbane he can’t bring himself to leave his home. He woke up over fourteen hours later, sweating and overheated. Maybe this is what Liam meant by feeling weird.

He picked up his phone, ignoring the several missed calls and unread messages, his hands trembling as he opened his contacts and searched for Liam’s name. Deaton should have been his first call but his feverish mind and howling wolf chose Liam as the safer option.

Liam picked up immediately, hissing out a ‘wait’ as a greeting. Theo tried to focus on the sounds and voices coming from the receiver but he couldn’t, he could barely hear anything over the rush of blood in between his ears.

“Theo, hey. Are you okay? I tried calling you but you didn’t pi-”

“Liam,” he whispered, voice cracking on the second syllable.

“I’m on my way, don’t move,” Liam said and hang up.

Theo dropped the phone, too weak to keep holding it to his ear or put it away. He licked his dry, chapped lips and took a deep breath. Liam would be here soon, everything will be fine.


	13. thirteen

“Did you call Deaton?” was the first thing Liam said as he entered Theo’s room. Theo didn’t even hear him approach. He just hoped the lock Liam picked wasn’t broken beyond repair, his landlord will skin him alive. **  
**

“No,” he said, struggling to open his eyes. His night vision wasn’t as good as that of a true werewolf, but even he should be able to see more than the silhouette of Liam, especially when he was standing over his bed.

“Okay, okay,” Liam said, moving closer and lifting one knee onto the bed. “You’re not healing,” Theo’s eyes could barely focus, but he could hear the frown in Liam’s voice.

“No shit,” he said, voice cracking embarrassingly.

He flinched when he felt a cool hand on his forehead, not expecting the touch. Liam didn’t move back, though. Instead, he pushed Theo’s damp hair away, sending shivers down Theo’s overheated body.

“You have a fever,” Liam said. “I’m calling Deaton.”

Luckily, Liam didn’t move away to do so. He pulled his phone out from his pocket and dialed one-handed, his left hand still resting on the side if Theo’s face. Theo closed his eyes, he tried to focus on the conversation, he really did, but he could only hear one side of it. So much for enhanced senses.

“Deaton said something’s stopping you from healing,” Liam’s voice roused him from the light slumber he’s fallen into. “He said I should…trigger it.”

Theo nodded. That made sense. It would be unpleasant, especially considering his current state, but if that’s what was needed to be done he’s glad Liam was here for it. He trusted him to do this with minimal damage.

“I’m sorry,” Liam said, grabbing Theo’s arm with two hands. “Scream if you need to.”

Theo didn’t scream, he simply blacked out from the pain.

* * *

When he woke up, the room was brighter. It was still the same day, or night to be precise, but the small desk lamp on his bedside table was on. Sweat was cooling on his skin but he didn’t feel feverish anymore. His right arm was sore but definitely did not feel broken. His left arm though- he couldn’t feel it.

Glancing to the side, he found the reason. Liam was asleep beside him, using Theo’s arm as a pillow and cutting off circulation. Liam did save him, Theo could ignore the numbness as thanks. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, cataloging the scents in the room. His own sweat smelt sick, rotten, the wolfsbane seeping through his pores. He could smell fresh rain outside and old mold inside. He could smell Liam, stronger than anything else.

Liam’s scent had always been unique. It was warm and spicy usually, but it would change depending on the beta’s mood. Theo had learned to recognize the undertones. Right now he smelt slightly tired but mostly content.

Theo opened his eyes as he felt movement, finding Liam’s blinking blue eyes. With his senses back he could see everything; he could count Liam’s lashes, watch the swirling shades of blue in his eyes. Liam’s eyes never left his even as he moved, burrowing closer and throwing an arm over Theo’s waist. It felt heavy and solid and Theo had trouble breathing.

“You feel better?” Liam asked, his throat dry from sleep.

“Yeah. I think it’s all gone,” Theo said. “Thanks to you.”

Liam shook his head, breaking eye contact and hiding his face in Theo’s neck. The soft breaths over such a sensitive part of his body drove Theo mad with need.

“Deaton should have made sure you were okay to go home,” he mumbled, his lips brushing against Theo’s skin.

“Liam,” Theo said with a tight voice. Liam was here to help him. He was being caring and…sweet. Now was not the time for Theo to get hard.

Liam growled and Theo froze, not daring to move.

“Sorry,” Liam said, nose pressed to Theo’s pulse point. “I usually have better control, it’s just…”

Shit. Theo forgot about the full moon.

“Do you- uh…need anything?” he asked. He knew Liam had learned to control his wolf better, but he was still a young werewolf. He should probably go out to the woods, not stay cramped in Theo’s little room.

“No I- I don’t know- I don’t want to hurt you-” Liam said, making Theo frown. He was about to ask what Liam meant but then Liam rocked slightly against his side, releasing a cut-off whimper.

Liam was hard.

“Sorry, sorry, you just- you smell so good right now,” Liam said, pulling himself away from Theo and rolling to the side. Theo stared at Liam’s back, confused and aroused.

Were they finally going to stop this game?

“Liam-”

“No, sorry, I can’t-” Liam breathed heavily, curling into himself. “I’ll stay here, is that okay? I want to make sure you’re fine. But I can’t- I won’t hurt you.”

“Liam, yeah,” he said, aching to move closer. “You can-”

“Please.”

Liam sounded so small, that one word making Theo’s heart ache.

“Okay,” he said. The bed was too small for them to have any significant space between them, but it still felt like a mile long ravine separating them.

* * *

Theo wasn’t used to sleeping for so many hours but he couldn’t help it. The waves of stress Liam was emitting was giving him a headache and there was nothing he could do but close his eyes and try to sleep.

The good thing though was the lack of nightmares with Liam around.

He cracked his eyes open, watching Liam’s chest rise and fall with each slow breath. Theo’s mouth was dry and his bladder full but he couldn’t bring himself to move. The pull of the moon was completely gone, and Liam must feel the same. He looked…peaceful. Liam was always full of energy or rage, but at this moment his looked so serene, sleeping in Theo’s bed.

Theo thought back to the previous night, to Liam’s breath on his skin and the hot touch of hardness he could feel through their clothes. He was disappointed, yes, but he didn’t feel the sting of rejection like he thought he would. Because Liam didn’t reject him, Liam was just… unnecessarily considerate. Well, it was unnecessary is Theo’s opinion, Liam seemed to find it important to keep away and if that was what he wanted, Theo won’t be the one to force him to do anything.

He knew better than to take someone’s freedom to choose away.

He closed his eyes, knowing that Liam would have to leave soon. He should at least make the most of this situation. If he happened to slip closer and cuddle against Liam’s side, there was no one there to witness it.

* * *

Life goes on. Theo had to go back to work as soon as he was able to stand. He was late to pay his rent already, and if he wanted to keep a roof over his head, he had to pull his weight and take as many shifts as he possibly could. Which meant zero free time, which meant no Liam.

Well, he couldn’t physically meet with Liam. But the texts? These didn’t stop. In fact, they became a…routine. No, he didn’t magically transform into this sexually confident porn star, but it was much easier now. He learned to recognize Liam’s weaknesses and take advantage of that. Liam had a weird obsession with Theo’s abs, but it was only fair since Theo felt the same about Liam’s hips.

It was fun and exciting, and after the whole wolfsbane poisoning debacle, Theo felt more…confident in whatever relationship they had. Liam still took care of him and didn’t take advantage of the situation, even if Theo wanted that. He had his worries before, that Liam won’t look at him the same now, but after that night, smelling Liam’s concern…he couldn’t find any reason to doubt that Liam, in the least, cared about him.

The unfortunate side of this whole situation was that he was at works most of his days and nights, and no matter how empty the store was, Theo  _will not_  jerk off at work. He won’t.

Liam was apparently on a mission to make this harder for him. Harder. Hah, he was probably losing brain cells.

  
  


Theo liked it when Liam was telling him about his day, despite how…dick-ish he sounded. If sometimes felt like…they were dating. Or something. Which they weren’t, obviously.

Theo also liked the picture. It was definitely innocent, unlike the rest of the pictures of Liam currently saved on his phone, but he liked it just as much. Theo had sort of missed that idiot’s face. The sweat and low hanging tank and the  _hair_ were all a nice bonus.

Maybe he should send Liam a gym selfie in retaliation because Liam was right, Theo  _was_ that kinda guy.


	14. fourteen

Theo was half asleep on his couch when his phone rang, which was a good thing since he had to go to work in a couple of hours. It’s better to stay awake then fall too heavily into sleep. **  
**

He was not surprised to see Liam’s name flashing across the screen. The only calls he usually received are either from work, Liam or, rarely, Scott. If anyone else in the pack needs to contact him, they prefer to do it by text.

“Yeah?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.

“Hey,” Liam said. It was hard to judge through the receiver, but his voices sounded rougher than usual.

“Hey yourself,” Theo said, raising his eyebrows out of habit.

“You home?” Liam asked, making Theo narrow his eyes. He hummed in return and received a sigh from Liam. “Good,” he said, “I’m so fucking hard it hurts.”

Theo gasped softly, feeling much more awake. He swallowed, trying to come up with something to say but before he could, Liam spoke again.

“I was thinking about you,” he said lightly, as if these words didn’t set Theo on fire. “I was thinking about your cock and your stupid face, fuck- Theo-”

Theo moved to lay down on the couch, unable to support himself. If he strained his hearing, he could hear Liam’s soft gasps and the rhythmic, wet sounds of jerking off.

“You would look so good,” he continued, and seriously, since when is Liam the one all confident and in charge. “I thought about it a lot, how you’ll look with my cock in your mouth.”

“Liam-” Theo forced out, shoving down his sweatpants in haste to get his hand around himself. He got hard so fast he was dizzy with it, but the contract helped ground himself and focus on Liam’s voice.

“Your lips were just made for it, you know that? You keep biting then when you’re thinking and it just- they were made for sucking cock, Theo,” he should probably be insulted by being objectified like that, but Liam’s words only served to get him harder.

“Yeah,” he said softly, squeezing the head of his cock. That was a nice thought, having his mouth on Liam. It would be a mouthful, he knew that. He would enjoy it.

“I always- I want-” Liam broke off, stuttering. The sudden shift in confidence made Theo feel better about his own silence. Made him remember that this Liam, the one he was sexting with and now, apparently, having phone sex with, was the same little wolf he knew and loved.

“Tell me,” he urged on. He never gave too much thought to kinks and things he’ll like in the bedroom, but Liam, talking like that? Yeah, that was something he wanted.

Liam was silent for a few more moments, simply breathing into the receiver. “I want that,” he said eventually. “I want to put you down on your knees and just- just fuck your mouth. I don’t even know how you didn’t notice it before. I would think about it nearly every pack meeting.”

Theo had no idea how Liam managed to keep his voice so steady while his hand was, judging by the noises he managed to pick up, moving so fast over his cock.

“Tell me more,” he said, gripping himself tightly and moving his fist up slowly. He wanted to know about Liam’s fantasies, he wanted to have them in his head while they jerked off over the phone.

“When you- since you grew out your hair,” Liam growled. “I couldn’t stop thinking about just grabbing it and- and just-” he gasped, breaking off. “Theo- fuck,  _fuck_ \- I want to just hold you down, fuck your throat so deep and hold you by your stupid fucking hair-” he gasped again, a choked noise that was probably Theo’s name leaving his lips.

“You think calling me stupid is the way to get that?” Theo asked with a laugh, moving his hand faster, using his precum to slick the way. He couldn’t help but moan as he squeezed a drop of precum out, playing with the slit and covering his fingers with sticky precum. He looked down at himself and got an idea. Liam better appreciate his thoughtfulness.

“Keep talking,” he growled before moving his phone away and setting it on speaker. He opened the camera and took a quick picture before opening the messaging app. “Liam,” he said, urging the beta on. He won’t reward Liam if he couldn’t follow simple orders.

“What- what do you want to me say?” Liam’s voice had gone high and breathy. “You want to know how- how I want to run my fingers through your hair until all you could do is purr and moan?” His dirty talk has taken a surprisingly sweet turn, but Theo didn’t mind that at all.

“Check your phone,” he said right after hitting ‘send’.

“I- what? Wait,” Liam said. Theo could hear him moving, fumbling with his phone. “Oh,” his voice dropped low again, “Theo…”

“You like?” Theo asked, trying to sound teasing but probably failing at hiding his vulnerability.

“Do I like making you hard and wet?” Liam said, making Theo’s heart jump at those words. “Yeah, baby. I like that a lot.”

Hearing Liam say that, calling him  _baby_ , sent Theo closer to the edge. He gritted his teeth and grabbed himself at the base, trying to stave off his orgasm.

“You do that a lot,” Theo said. If his baby wolf could talk like that, so could he. “You make me…hard and wet.”

“Theo-” Liam groaned loudly. “Yes-  _Theo-”_

Theo moved his hand faster, chasing his own orgasm now that he got what he wanted; hearing Liam come for him. He was wet, soaking with precum. He felt desperate to come, he could only imagine the sounds Liam could hear; the wet strokes, his needy gasps and moans, Liam’s name escaping his lips like a mantra.

Theo whimpered, squeezing the head tightly and catching the ropes of cum with his hand. He tried to catch his breath, laying on the couch with his wet hand resting awkwardly on his stomach.

“Theo, fuck,” Liam said, “fuck, baby. You sound so hot.”

Theo felt himself blush, preening at the praise.

“I need to go to school,” Liam said mournfully. “You should- are you free this weekend or something? You should come over,” Liam’s words were rushed, nervous. Liam was…inviting him over. Theo felt himself stop breathing for a moment. It felt different, like something changed. Well, things definitely have changed since the last time they hang out.

“I’ll try,” Theo said, trying to remember his schedule for the weekend. “I’ll text you later.”

“Okay! Okay, good, great! Let me know, bye!” Liam exclaimed before hanging up.

Theo snorted, rolling his eyes. Liam would never change.

He got up to take a quick shower and get ready for work. He’ll have to change his shifts a bit to get a day off, but he believed it’ll be worth it.

* * *

Friday. He can do it. He can totally do it. He’ll drop whatever stupid hang-ups he has about this whole thing and do something about it, about them. He’ll talk to Liam like a grown up and make sure they’re on the same page. They are, they have to be, the universe can’t be that evil.

* * *

The universe can be that evil, apparently. Instead of spending what was supposed to be a nice day with Liam, hopefully one that included kissing and touching and  _other things_ , they got roped into dealing with even more hunters. This time the fools of the month tried messing with the nemeton. Theo could understand Scott needing all the help available when it came to the freaky tree, but  _did it have to be today?_

Scott sent him and Corey to guard the entrance to the preserve, hoping to stop any additional hunters from getting in. It was okay, he would prefer to spend time with Liam, for obvious reasons, but Corey was the second best choice. They were on…not good terms, no, but things were comfortable if not slightly awkward. Awkward Theo could handle, awkward does not entail promises to send Theo back to hell.

Theo was sitting down against a tree while Corey was slowly pacing. It would annoy him if it were anyone else, but the other chimera wasn’t nervous or over thinking, he was simply walking slowly, steps steady and almost soothing.

“What’s that?” Theo asked suddenly, noticing a dark mark on Corey’s wrist.

“What? Oh,” Corey looked down, fingers covering the skin. “Sorry, it’s just- didn’t really want to show it yet. It’s- uh. A tattoo, sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“Yeah, it’s temporary, just to see if I like the location and, you know, the whole thing.”

“Is it something you want to go through, though? I…asked Derek, he told me how it works. Supposed to be painful.”

“There are…other ways actually. We have this friend, he knows a guy. I could…talk to him if that’s something you’re interested in.”

He wasn’t, not really, but the idea does have an appeal to it.

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, trying to give Corey what he hoped was a sincere smile.

“No problem,” Corey said, smiling back before returning to his pacing.

Progress.

* * *

They stayed in the preserve well into the early morning. Theo was tired, and starving, and  _probably_ late for work. In a desperate attempt to spend at least a few minutes with Liam, he offered to drive him and Corey back home. That would make him  _definitely_ late for work, but Liam smiled tiredly at the offer and he couldn’t take it back.

“Um, thanks,” Liam said when they reached his house. They stared at each other for a moment before a soft snore made them both startle. Corey was still in the truck, sleeping in the backseat. “Right,” Liam said, a flash of annoyance on his face before he smiled again. “I should get in, my parents are probably planning my murder right now. You should…let me know when you’re free next. Sorry about today.”

“S’okay,” Theo said, smiling softly. “I’ll- yeah, I’ll text you.”

“Yeah,” Liam said before opening the door. He glanced back at Theo, gaze dropping to his lips, before closing the door and making his way to the house.

Theo stared until he Liam entered the house. And then continued staring until another snore broke him from his daze. Right.

Get Corey home, go to work, apologize profoundly for being late and beg if necessary. What a wonderful day

* * *

He completely forgot about his conversation with Corey until a few days later when he received a message from a number he couldn’t remember programming into his phone. That was probably Liam’s work back when he tried forcing Theo to ‘play nice’ with others. Or maybe Corey’s, considering this was the friend he mentioned. Theo wasn’t very private about his phone  _before_. Now, he uses goddamn touch id to unlock his phone.

  


Theo narrowed his eyes at the words. He had heard that the werewolf was a flirt but he could ignore it if the guy was willing to help a stranger. He also had…really nice abs and apparently, Theo was superficial like that.

He looked up for a moment, noticing the store was empty. A tattoo wasn’t something he planned to get without thinking it through enough time, but a piercing on the other hand…

He opened the browser and sat down to google piercings inspiration, suddently feeling like a real teenager.


	15. fifteen

Theo woke up to yet another text from Liam. He closed his eyes, biting his lip and trying to imagine what it might contain. Either a plea for help or a picture. He definitely preferred the latter but both options would get him up, one way or another.

He opened the message, finding a picture of Liam. He swallowed heavily as his heartbeat skyrocketed. He was finding out a lot about himself lately, especially regarding his kinks. All that hair was doing things to him. Or maybe it was just Liam.

Truth be told, the picture was ridiculous. Liam looked like he had just woken up, hair messy, and the position wasn’t doing him any favors. It was still the hottest thing he’d ever seen. Like the previous time, Liam sending him selfies was just…doing  _something_ to him.

Theo smiled, deciding to indulge his little beta. He’ll have to tease him a bit before, but he was feeling generous today.

He wasn’t sure what to do with the warm feeling in his chest other than smile like an idiot. He got out of bed, deciding to start getting ready for the day. His shift wasn’t until noon but he wasn’t tired enough to go back to sleep. He still had nightmares, of course, but Tara was absent from them lately.

It was when he was just sitting down to drink his first cup of coffee for the day that he received another text from Liam. He read the words, frowning a bit. After taking the previous Friday off from work, it was hardly possible for him to get another day off this week, not if he was planning to keep his job, save money and finally move out of the apartment.

If would be easier when school will be out for spring break, he thought. Why was it so hard to have one evening alone with Liam? One night without school, work, parent, hunters. He needed to talk to him, for real, to find out where they were standing. The uncertainty became less of a mystery and more of an anxiety-inducing problem he needed to solve.

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly before picking up his coffee. He knew what he wanted, he wanted Liam and he was now sure Liam wanted him back. He didn’t know what that meant for them but sitting around and imagining all the different scenarios this could turn into would do absolutely nothing to help. The only solution was to actually talk to Liam. They were both bad at this communication thing, but Theo will have to swallow his pride and confess. He was given a chance he never thought was possible, and he had to grab it before it was too late. No, he didn’t think he deserved Liam, no matter how much time had passed, but if Liam was willing to have him, even for a while…

He won’t get his hopes up too high since it was apparent the universe was out to get him, but he won’t sit idle either. New plan: go for a run to clear up his head, go to work and try to change his schedule again, consider believing in a deity and pray for karma to stop being a bitch.

It definitely wasn’t his best plan, but he considered it as proof that he did change his manipulative ways. Which was a good thing? Probably. Maybe.

* * *

Theo returned from his 12-hour shift tired and hungry but also strangely elated. Apparently, he was due to a raise now. It wasn’t that high, but each cent counted. He wouldn’t take fewer shifts but it was another step closer to his goal. His landlord was being bitchier than usual, and the strangers kept coming. Theo realized by now the man was planning to sell so that probably meant Theo would be kicked out as soon as a deal would be made. It was a dump anyway.

He fell onto his bed face-first, still wearing everything other than his shoes. He had the strange urge to tell someone, to share a bit about his mundane life issues. He wriggled a hand into his front pocket, pulling out his phone. He didn’t want to just talk to anyone, he wanted to talk to Liam. God, why was it so hard to just have a normal conversation with him? Well, he knew why. He was hopelessly in love for the first time in his life and he didn’t know how to handle the influx of feeling rushing through him each time he even thought about the beta.

He groaned into the pillow, dropping his phone aside so he won’t be tempted to text or, Jesus,  _call_ Liam. It was after midnight on a school night anyway. Liam had enough on his table without Theo bothering him like a clingy girlfriend.

So what if he wanted to be a clingy boyfriend? That’s his own issue to deal with.

He wrestled out of his jacket, throwing it aside and off the bed. He’ll regret sleeping in his jeans come morning, but he was simply too tired to get up.

* * *

His unexpected lucky streak continued and he managed to score another Friday off. It cost him in a double shift on Sunday of all days, but it was worth it. He tried to not sound too excited when he texted Liam, but that was a long shot anyway.

Theo bit his lip, trying not to feel too giddy about being called pretty. Liam was mocking him anyway. And he wasn’t that vain, was he?

Mason and Corey…maybe that was good. Their presence will help ease him into being so close to Liam, considering his plan. He just hoped they will leave soon after because if the universe was laughing at him again he’ll cry. He’ll literally cry.

Friday was two days away. Plenty of time to plan his words and actions.

* * *

There was absolutely no time! Theo was supposed to be at Liam’s in less than half an hour. The week passed too quickly and he couldn’t figure out the best way to approach the subject. He’ll just have to wing it.

He’ll admit, he was nervous. He tried to control his heartbeat as he made his way to Liam’s front door. He took several breaths before raising his hand to knock. The door was wrenched open before he could do that, revealing Liam, grinning wildly and staring at him like a maniac. Seriously, why did Theo find this boy cute?

He quickly lowered his still raised fist, coughing awkwardly. “Hey,” he said lamely.

“Hey!” Liam answered and bit his lip. They stared at each other for several moments before Mason’s voice carried over from inside the house, asking Liam where he was.

“Umm, right! Yeah, come in,” Liam said, blushing slightly as he moved aside.  _Oh, that’s why,_ Theo thought, watching with fascination as Liam’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.

The evening started as usual; they played video games and played pizza. Theo was right, it was easier with the other two around. He had time to relax and get comfortable before they were alone.

“So, Theo,” Corey said, swallowing a bite of pizza. “Did Brett talked to you?” Liam and Mason both turned around to look at him, but Corey ignored them both.

Theo blinked at the other chimera before remembering. Their werewolf friend, the one with the tattoos. He almost forgot about the appointment he’s made. He should make sure not to schedule a shift that day.

“Yeah, thanks,” he answered curtly, hoping Corey won’t ask any further questions. He felt awkward enough about this whole deal. Corey simply nodded before returning to his pizza, but Theo could feel eyes on him.

Mason was staring at him with wide eyes. “What,” he grunted, not liking the attention.

“You know Brett?” Mason asked, sounding dazed.

“Not really,” The answered, furrowing his brows. Corey snorted into his plate, mumbling something about a crush, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from his boyfriend.

The two play-fought, falling into their own little bubble, so Theo moved his attention to Liam. His breath hitched at the raw anger in Liam’s eyes. The werewolf was glaring at Corey, hands fisted tightly, resting on his thighs.

“Liam,” he said, drawing the beta’s attention to himself. He recoiled slightly at the glare he received, but it was short-lived. Liam blinked twice before the heat left his eyes. He smiled softly at Theo, pushing another slice onto his plate.

“So, anyway,” Mason said breathlessly. “He’s like, super tall and super hot.”

“Okay?” Theo blinked at the boy. He had no idea what was going on.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s also, you know,” he said. Nodding. No, Theo didn’t know. “He’s bi,” Mason said with a huff.

Why the hell was he telling him that? Theo looked around, trying to find an explanation to whatever was going on.

Corey was staring wide-eyed at his boyfriend while Mason was still looking at Theo expectantly. Liam was now glaring at his best friend. The entire atmosphere in the room was tense, to say the least.

“Mason,” Liam said lowly, voice like a warning.

“What? I’m just, you know, letting my man here know. In case he was- ow! Hey, what was that for?!” he yelped as Corey pinched him. Hard.

Liam growled lowly, claws digging into his thighs, finally drawing the attention of both Corey and Mason. Corey was looking at him with a worried expression while Mason’s eye grew comically large.

“Oh, shit. Sorry, Liam, I thought you were over that guy?” he asked.

Theo couldn’t breathe. He felt himself blanch at the thought, muttering out a croaked ‘what’ while Corey covered his face with both hands, groaning. Brett was…good looking, and he had a history with Liam, a better history than he had, for sure. What if Liam was-

“No!” Liam yelled, glaring at his friend. “I- I wasn’t even into him, Mason. Stop trying to make it happen.”

“Whatever you say, Liam. Let me tell you that, though, all that tension between you two was not heterosexual at all.”

“Mason, shut the fuck up,” Corey hissed, before standing up quickly. He plastered a pleasant smile on his face and pulled Mason to stand up as well. “We should go, we don’t want to be late.”

“Late?” Mason asked, allowing himself to be dragged out of the room. “But there’s still-”

“Bye guys!” Corey yelled.

Liam and Theo sat in silence, listening to the other two make their way downstairs and out of the house. Theo tuned out their conversation, trying to find his balance. What the hell was happening?

“I’m not into Brett,” Liam gritted out, breaking the silence. Theo was only half-relieved at his steady heartbeat. 

“Okay,” he said. swallowing. They fell into uncomfortable silence. 

So much for his plan. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words, not when he was so much out of his depth. Self-doubt started creeping into his mind and he went over all their previous interactions, trying to figure out if he was seeing things wrong.

“Theo,” Liam said softly, Theo opened his eyes to look at him, not realized he even closed them. “I’m not into anyone else,” he said.

“Okay,” Theo repeated, licking his lips. Liam’s eyes fell down to look at his mouth and he started moving, crawling closer to Theo who sat unmoving, frozen to the spot.

“You’ve been driving me crazy,” Liam said, his voice low. He moved one hand up to caress Theo’s cheek, thumb moving against the grain of his stubble.

“Me?” Theo choked out with a slight laugh.

“Yeah,” Liam said, his eyes glinting as he moved even closer.

Liam’s lips were warm and soft, softer than Theo’s own chapped lips. His mouth was even warmer, almost too hot, and so so sweet even under the pizza grease and salt.

Theo made a sound that sounded dangerously close to a sob as he pressed harder, throwing his arms around Liam’s waist and pulling the werewolf closer.

Fuck planning, this was better.


	16. sixteen

Liam kept the kiss slow, much slower than Theo wanted. He had tried to deepen it several times but each time the beta pulled back with a bite to Theo’s bottom lip before moving back in. It wasn’t any less passionate, though, and it definitely served to make Theo breathless and light-headed. He figured kissing Liam would be amazing, even if he was a terrible kisser Theo would have enjoyed it, but this was so far beyond what he expected. Kissing him just felt…right. **  
**

They could have kept going. They could have kept kissing until Liam grew tired of holding back, until he’ll be just as desperate as Theo felt. They could have probably tried out a few of the things Liam had helpfully suggested in his texts. They could have done a lot, expect Liam forgot to mention his  _parents_ were home and Theo was too preoccupied to hear the presence coming closer to the room until Liam’s mother was right outside the room.

The door was shut, luckily, probably during Mason’s and Corey’s hasty retreat, and that was the only thing that saved them from, frankly, utter mortification. Theo had met the woman several times and she was nice. He would have felt so bad getting caught with his tongue down her son’s throat and hand rubbing his cock through his jeans and- when did that even happen?! He couldn’t remember moving his hands.

They jumped apart as she knocked on the door, quickly putting distance between them and simultaneously trying to hide their erections. Theo was sitting crossed legged, hunching over with his back to the door while Liam grabbed a pillow to cover his lap. Subtle. Liam’s face and lips were bright red and Theo knew for a fact he blushed easier and was probably just as bad if not worse. The door opened slowly to reveal Mrs. Geyer and judging by her raised eyebrow as she looked at them Theo was right- they weren’t fooling anyone.

“Hello boys. I was sure I heard Mason here before,” she said, looking between her son and Theo’s back before moving her gaze back to Liam.

“Yeah, he and Corey had to leave.”

“Alright then. It’s late so try not to make too much noise. Good night.” She left the door open. That never happened before. She definitely  _knew_ and Theo won’t be able to look her in the eyes  _ever again._

His head snapped up at the choking sound Liam made, only to realize he was trying to hold back laughter.

“This isn’t funny,” he hissed.

“Your face! God-” Liam made the ugly choking sound again, making Theo sneer.

“Be quiet,” he hissed again. The last thing he needed was Liam’s mother coming back to check on the noise.

“Relax, Theo. It’s not a big deal,” Liam said. He threw the pillow back onto the bed before climbing up. “Come here,” he said, patting the bed.

“What,” Theo looked at him incredulously, making Liam roll his eyes.

“Just come sit here, my back hurts from sitting on the floor. Let’s watch tv,” he emphasized the offer by patting the mattress once again.

“You’re a werewolf,” Theo said as he moved up and onto the bed. Liam’s bed was big enough to keep a respectable space between them, unlike that time they slept next to each other in Theo’s tiny bed.

“You can sit closer, you know,” Liam said, smirking slightly.

“It’s fine,” Theo bit out. He wanted to sit closer but he won’t give Liam the satisfaction after laughing at him.

“I’ll be good, I promise,” he said. It would have sounded sincere if Liam had not leered at him right after.

“It’s fine, Liam.”

“Fine,” Liam rolled his eyes again before grabbing the remote and turning on the television. Theo couldn’t focus on…whatever it is they were watching. All he could think of was the heat coming off Liam’s body, the stubble burn on his cheeks and the low coil of arousal he just couldn’t will away.

Eventually, he managed to at least pretend and watch the movie, though he was too tired to keep his eyes fully open. He didn’t even notice Liam reaching over and grabbing his phone from the floor but he definitely felt the waves of sudden irritation coming from him.

“What?” he asked sleepily, glancing at the beta from the corner of his eye. Liam was frowning down on Theo’s phone, his hold on the device too tight. “What?” he repeated.

“Nothing,” Liam said tightly before throwing the phone away to the end of the bed. “Let’s watch something else.”

Theo watched him for a long moment. He could see the tension in his jaw and the crease between his brows but Liam didn’t say a thing so neither did Theo.

They spend the rest of the night in mostly silence until Theo had to leave. Liam grabbed his wrist before he stepped out of the front door, pulled him closer and pressed a soft, quick kiss to his lips before releasing him.

Theo returned home more than confused. At some point he thought they’d finally solved whatever was holding them back, they  _kissed_ , but then Liam turned all brooding and gloomy and spent over an hour mostly ignoring Theo’s existence. He had kissed him again before leaving, so that was probably a good thing? God, why did things always turn south for him?

* * *

Right. Theo had to be the bigger man and text Liam first. It hadn’t been that long, Theo was still halfway through his morning shift and Liam was probably still sleeping or sulking somewhere but the way the previous night ended forced him to take some action. Seriously, enough is enough. It’s time to give this communication thing a try.

  


Theo choked out a laugh, earning himself a glare from his boss who was currently stocking up some products. Liam was  _jealous_. Theo opened up the gallery app, finding the last picture Liam opened. Ah, so that was the problem. Theo would have been upset about Liam’s implication, but he himself had his moment of jealousy last night regarding the tall werewolf, so that would just make him a hypocrite. 

  
  


* * *

Liam didn’t lie. Theo actually felt like he was on parole. The beta was acting, not cold but much cooler than before. Theo wasn’t sure if he was actually jealous and offended or was just too proud to talk to Theo like normal and apologize. He didn’t need to of course, but Theo took some pleasure in knowing Liam was probably the one suffering the most from his self-imposed distance. 

Finally, it was the day to end their misery. He could explain with words that he had absolutely no interest in Brett and why he even had the picture, but he figured they communicated better with images. He returned to his room after the appointment and quickly took a picture before messaging Liam. That was apparently enough to warm the ridiculous angry puppy up, he thought with a laugh.

  
  


Nothing ever beat the feeling of getting Liam all riled and worked up. Well, nothing as of yet, but Theo had some ideas.


	17. seventeen

Liam apparently, had _really_ liked the piercing. He kept texting Theo about it, usually late-night rambles that described just how _bad_ he wanted to touch it, how he wanted to take Theo's pierced nipple in his mouth and _bite_. Theo always slid a hand under his shirt while reading those, fingers pinching the bud just hard enough for it to sting with pleasurable pain.

 

He didn't lie. It healed fast and clean, but it was _sensitive_.

 

One particularly descriptive text had him licking his fingertips before bringing them down to his nipple, pinching around the steel bar hard, drawing a cry from his lips. He had to throw his phone aside at that, shoving his free hand into his boxers and jerking himself hard and fast, his fingers pinching his nipple until it was red and swollen.

 

He had also developed the terrible, _terrible_ habit of brushing his hand over his covered nipple. It wouldn't be a problem if he'd done it at home, in private, but the phantom pain had him rubbing his palm over his pec at random times, _in public._

 

The touch never failed at making him jump and harden in his pants instantly.

 

He had no idea at that point why he wasn't just going over to Liam's house. He should barge into his room and demand to be fucked. That's what he wanted. He wanted to push Liam down on a bed and ride him until they both cried. He wanted Liam to touch him, touch his ass and his cock, his arms that Liam liked so much, his nipples- well, no, not his nipples. Not yet. That would end things way too early.

 

What was it that was stopping him? Fear? Liam had kissed him, and that little stint of jealousy had to be a good sign. Maybe he was enjoying this too much. Teasing them both, like a weeks-long foreplay. Maybe he waited for Liam to come to him first.

 

Whatever it was, Theo was too stubborn to give in first. It was stupid and silly and he had promised himself he would stop this and actually do something and _be_ with Liam. But here he was, their entire relationship a bunch of pictures and words on his phone screen. Self-doubt was not an unfamiliar concept to him, and Theo wished he was just a bit braver to take what he wanted.

 

They weren't hurting anyone, he told himself. Who cared that they were doing it like this. People have entire relationships online. Yes, Liam and he had the privilege of actually living in the same town. But those other people don't have their fucked up history, so there's that.

 

Another excuse, a voice whispered in his head.

 

At least, he figured, his time on parole came to an end. Liam had been texting him non stop and Theo was very glad for whatever enhanced healing his chimera gave him. It couldn't possibly be safe to jerk off so much.

 

Another night, another pretty picture of Liam's cock, _fuck_ , that Theo saved to a password protected folder on his phone. God, he wanted that, he thought with a moan.

 

He wanted to feel Liam's cock for real, feel its weight, the soft skin. He wanted to know how Liam smelled and tasted. He wanted Liam to stretch him wide open.

 

He blinked at the screen, eyes flying between the latest picture and Liam's words, until his texts pushed it up and away from the screen. All he could do now was read.

 

Liam was filthy, god. Little beta spilling all his fantasies into text messages. He was _very_ generous and descriptive when it came to letting Theo know just _how_ he liked to jerk off, how tight his fist was, how he liked to push his thumbnail into his slit, coaxing it to spill more sticky precum. Liam apparently liked starting dry and slow, working the friction in his favor.

 

But all these details, Theo didn't care about them.

 

He didn't care if Liam liked it slow or fast, dry or dripping wet. He didn't care if Liam preferred to have his balls or nipple played with.

 

He didn't care because when he'll finally have his hands on Liam, he'll do whatever _he_ liked. He'll play with Liam just how _Theo_ wanted to. And Liam would like it. Liam would _love_ it.

 

Liam would take whatever Theo gave him and he'll enjoy it.

 

He did care though, for what Liam thought about when he jerked off. And Liam didn't skip a detail on that front either. Theo particularly enjoyed Liam describing Theo's eyes, of all things. He would go on and on about Theo's body and muscles, about how he'd like to push Theo down on his knees and fuck his face. But then, he'll start fucking _serenading_ Theo's eyes. Countless texts about their color, the way the sunlight made them appear blue, his _lashes_.

 

It was all just so...cute.

 

The problem is, Theo didn't know _how_ to deal with cute. It left him confused, with both a hard on and a pain in his chest.

 

He always thought Liam was so brave. Thrust into their crazy world so fast, but still managing to adjust, to rise up. He wished Liam would be brave enough for them both.

 

* * *

 

 

Fucking lacrosse, he thought with a pout. _High school_ lacrosse. What could be so important about this game that had Liam's coach take the team's phones away the night before?

 

Theo stared at his phone. No notifications, no unread texts.

 

Because Liam didn't have his phone, and was probably still in practice anyway, while Theo finally had a free night all to himself. No need to rush, no thoughts about work.

 

And, apparently, no Liam.

 

He kept pouting until he felt ridiculous.

 

It was fine, Liam had to focus on the game. Lacrosse was something he loved. But still, taking their phones away? That coach seriously needed a reality check.

 

Theo was suddenly hit with the thought of his own pictures on Liam's phone, but he quickly shook it away. No. Nope. Not thinking about some middle-aged man accidentally treating himself to a view of Theo's junk.

 

He sighed, picking up his own phone. Theo didn't need to suffer alongside Liam, after all. He bit his lip, opening the folder, eyes raking across the pictures.

 

God, he loved them. How ridiculous was that? But Liam's cock, it was a piece of art. Oh yeah, that was his dick talking, but it wasn't lying. He was actually surprised, the first time he saw it on his screen. Liam was so _small_ , but Theo was wrong to judge. Because his cock was anything but small.

 

Theo felt that urge again, that tingle deep in his core. Fuck, he wanted that inside him. His drifting hand suddenly froze, and his eyes blinked open. He licked his lips, suddenly feeling nervous. There was something he'd been planning on trying, ever since this whole thing started.

 

No better time than the present, he thought.

 

He put the phone on the mattress, screen up, and reached under his pillow. The plastic seal was still on, but he quickly peeled it off the tube. He put it down next to his phone, thinking. Yes. He was doing it. He was doing it, and he literally had nothing stopping him.

 

He took his clothes off quickly, tossing them away as if they offended him. Comfort was key. He climbed back on the bed, movements slow and clumsy. He was alone, no one was watching him, but still, he couldn't fight the blush from spreading to his neck.

 

He kneeled on the bed, thumbing his phone screen open, the latest picture he viewed filling the screen. If he wanted that, he thought, he should... prepare.

 

With a deep breath, he leaned forward until he was on all fours. He felt cold and exposed, nervous, but that didn't stop his dick from twitching and pulsing in interest. He spread his knees for better leverage and grabbed the tube, flicking it open. He coated his fingers quickly and carelessly, both eager and nervous to get to the main event.

 

He braced himself on one folded arm, shoulders falling lower, face pressed to the pillow. His wet hand reached back, trailing slowly down his crack.

 

The lube was cold, but his overheated skin quickly warmed it up.

 

He wondered if Liam would do that for him. Or maybe Liam preferred to watch. Would he sit back and watch Theo finger himself open? Would he manage to keep his hands off, or would he add his own fingers?

 

He rubbed his fingers lower, reaching to his hole. Oh god, he thought, moaning softly. The thought of having a cock in there was slightly intimidating, he will admit, but mostly he _wanted_.

 

Since when was he so cock-hungry? Well, the answer was obvious. Fucking Dunbar.

 

He pushed in gently with one finger. Nothing happened. Of course nothing did, what did he expect. He took a deep breath and pushed harder, past the resistance, until his fingertip simply...popped in. It wasn't so bad, he thought. His eyes opened, watching the fingers on the hand in front of his face, sizing them up. It wasn't enough yet.

 

He wriggled the finger deeper, trying to ignore his body's instinct to push. He sighed, rubbing his face over the pillow. This wasn't doing that much to him.

 

He pulled his finger out and pushed back with two. This felt much more noticeable. Almost painful. But still, the pain was dull. Again, not so bad, but nothing special. He almost felt cheated.

 

He pushed the fingers in and out until he felt no resistance, the glide easy and smooth. He should probably be grateful, he thought, that his body was taking this so easy. He spread his fingers apart, stretching wider. He wondered how it looked like, from behind. And then, he couldn't help but think about Liam _watching_ him like this. _Oh_ , he thought with a gasp. This is what he was missing.

 

Gone was the almost clinical way he fingered himself open.

 

With the thought of Liam's eyes on him, he pushed harder, deeper, moaning around the stretch. Liam wasn't around, he wasn't _here_ , but Theo was doing this for him. For them both. He was doing this so he could take Liam's cock in- god, _fuck_. He pushed faster, hole clenching around his fingers, eager to feel more.

 

The bed was shaking with his rocks, his ass pushing back into his own fingers. " _Liam_ ," he moaned. "Fuck, _fuck_."

 

He dropped down to his shoulders, face pressed almost uncomfortably against the bed. His other hand moved back, holding himself open, fingers feeling around the rim.

 

It wasn't enough. He needed _more_.

 

He pulled out again, whining as his fingers dragged across his sensitive rim. Slicking his hand some more, he brought it back eagerly, pushing three fingers in. Logically speaking, he felt the stretch and burn. But he couldn't care about those.

 

He fucked himself hard and fast, wet squelching sounds filling the room. He held himself open the entire time, _presenting_ himself.

 

"Liam," he moaned loudly as his fingers brushed over something that made him see stars. "Please, please, please."

 

He whined, eyes squeezing shut. God, he was never so _loud_ before.

 

He pressed against the bundle of nerves repeatedly, gasping sobs and moans leaving his lips. He couldn't reach that well like this, with his own fingers. But Liam could. Fuck, this was both too much and _not enough._ His cock was steadily dripping precum on the sheets, a wet puddle forming beneath him.

 

He dropped down, cock pressed against the wet fabric, and _rutted_. He couldn't move his fingers like this, but he kept them pressed against that sweet spot. His hips bucked, fucking the sheets almost desperately.

 

God, he had to cum. Now. He couldn't take it anymore.

 

His hips rolled again and again, the sheets under him drenched with his own fluids, his hole pulsing around his fingers. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck me_ ," he cried out into the empty room.

 

It still wasn't enough, he thought in the back of his head. Three fingers in and it didn't feel even close to enough.

 

He pressed harder into that spot, hard enough for his body to jerk and trash wildly from the overstimulation. Still. Not. Enough.

 

He let go off his ass cheek, bringing the hand under him, sliding up his sweat-slick chest to his nipple. He pinched hard, too hard, gasping from the pain. He did it again and again, hips thrashing wildly. "Please, please, please," he repeated over and over again.

 

He needed more, he needed the warmth and scent of Liam's body behind him, above him, pushing him down and fucking into him. He needed Liam's breath in his ear, fangs in his neck, claws digging into his hips.

 

With a sob, he removed his fingers, gaping hole clenching on air. He felt so _empty_. He brought both hands up, gripping the pillow, and spread his legs wider. There was barely any friction against his cock by now, sheets too wet and saturated with cum.

 

He growled, biting the pillow, fangs tearing the fabric. He never felt so out of control, so _needy_.

 

The only thing keeping his sanity intact was the fact that he could have it, he could have what he wanted. Liam would give it to him, he moaned at the thought. Liam would give him exactly what he needed. Just as hard and brutal as he needed when he was like this, needy and desperate. Just as slow and soft as he needed other times.

 

He lifted his hips up, the sheets sticking to his cock, and grabbed the pillow, shoving it between his legs. Better. The dry fabric could give him the friction he was looking for. He braced himself on his elbows, head hanging low, watching the head of his cock as he fucked the pillow. It was dark purple and so swollen. It looked painful. It _felt_ painful.

 

"Fuck, yeah," he slurred around his fangs, humping the pillow faster.

 

The pillowcase was cheap, the fabric rough. It was perfect right now. His cock dragged against it harshly, just like it would against Liam; body hair rough and scratching his sensitive cock.

 

His thighs clenched around the pillow, folding it until it sat high and denser. He had better leverage like this, braced on knees and elbows, ass in the air, hips fucking down at a frenzied pace. He was so close, he could almost taste it.

 

Would Liam tease him and deny him, like he was doing to himself? Or would he let him cum freely, and fuck him through it? He has so many _questions_ and Theo, Theo always appreciated knowledge.

 

He reached back, finding his hole. It was still slightly open and loose, just from his fingers. It would stay so fucking wide after Liam would be done with him. He wouldn't even be able to hold Liam's cum in him.

 

That thought punched a desperate whine out of him. No no no. That won't do. He wanted to keep Liam's cum in, keep his scent and mark in. His mind started racing, ridiculous thoughts filling his head. He would probably roll his eyes in disgust later, but right now all he could think of was finding a solution. Maybe he was _too_ loose, maybe he should've have used just two fingers. Yeah, he'll use two fingers, and Liam's cock would open him the rest of the way.

 

He pushed one finger in, but it was slightly too dry. The lube was nowhere to be found. He brought his hand down under his body, gathering precum from the head of his cock, hissing at the touch.

 

With his now wet hand he reached back again, two of his fingers sinking in easily and he groaned. He was so ready. His fingers brushed that spot again, and he was about to press harder when-

 

His head snapped to the side as his phone pinged with a text. Why would someone be texting him? He was tempted to ignore it but something made him stop.

 

With his fingers still inside him, he reached over with his other hand, grabbing the phone from where it sat, dangerously close to the edge of the bed.

 

His mind couldn't focus on the words and explanations. All he saw was ' _bby wolf'_ and that's- that was it.

 

He keened loudly, fingers pressing into the spot, phone clutched tightly in his other hand. His hips rolled and bucked with renewed strength, warm release spilling into the tight damp space between him and the pillow, as he repeated his baby wolf’s name like a mantra.

 

It was a lot, and it took forever. Body shaking and trembling like a leaf by the time he was done spurting warm, thick cum onto his pillow.

 

He gasped loudly, open mouth pressed into the sheets. Sweat was rapidly cooling on his skin, tremors still wrecking through his body. He felt so completely _fucked out_.

 

It was over ten minutes after Liam's text that he came to. Lifting his head, he read the text.

 

 **bby wolf:** ha! managed to get my phone back. heading home rn. what u doing?

 

Liam wanted to know what he was doing, uh? He lifted himself up on shaky limbs, phone in his hand.

 

The ruined pillow beneath him, between his thighs. Cock still red and wet, the skin of his belly pink from the prolonged friction. The maddening amount of cum covering _everything_. That was the picture he sent Liam before turning his phone on silent and dropping his head back, falling asleep in the same position.

 


	18. eighteen

When Theo woke up the next morning, all the muscles in his body were  _ aching _ . The good kind of pain, that comes with a hard workout and, apparently, coming so hard you black out. 

 

He would have loved to let himself relax, to stay in bed and enjoy the quiet, but his sheets were  _ disgusting _ . He wished he could just throw them away, but instead he packed them and his laundry and headed straight to the laundromat. The earlier he'll get there, the less embarrassing it'll be. All it takes is one nosey person, or worse,  _ nosey werewolf _ and Theo could simply drop dead and die.

 

When he returned, he was surprised to find the lingering scent of Liam, and a note under his door. It seemed like Liam chose a more old-fashioned way of passing notes. Ridiculous.

 

_ 'You're a little shit for last night! I dropped my phone and my screen cracked! And why aren't you ever here?? _

_ Anyway come over when you can you douchebag, I can't enjoy our texts with the screen completely cracked!!' _

 

Theo chuckled after reading the note, a warm feeling in his chest. Liam was right, he had to agree. The universe had something against them having time to see each other.

 

No time to dwell on that, though. He had to get to work, even though his legs were still shaky. Jesus.

 

* * *

 

 

An hour before his shift ended, he caught a familiar scent. He turned his head, trying to catch another whiff. Liam, and sweat.

 

"How did- what are you doing here," he asked when Liam entered the shop, heading straight to the counter. He was wearing his lacrosse jersey and shorts, which explained the scent of sweat and grass.

 

"Just," Liam shrugged. "I left my phone at the repair shop nearby, and I-" he broke off, looking around before lowering his voice. "I caught your scent so..."

 

"You sure you're not just stalking me?" Theo asked, a soft smirk on his face.

 

_ "No, _ when would I have time for that? Besides, you never told anyone where you work, so it's not like I could've known."

 

“Sounds like something a stalker would say, but good job, puppy.”

 

Liam always asked not to be called that, but always by text. This time his protest was even weaker since Theo could  _ see _ the blush on his face.

 

"Aww, pup-"

 

"Just shut up! Don't call me that!"

 

"Theo!" A voice called. His manager looked at Liam and then at Theo, raising his eyebrows. This was the first time someone came to visit Theo, it's not like he's constantly slacking off. He sighed dejectedly, turning to face Liam again.

 

"Listen, you should probably leave," he said quietly.

 

"Yeah, I, yeah. Okay. Uh, wanna come over later?" Liam asked, eying Theo's manager from the corner of his eye.

 

"I'll- yeah, I could. For a bit."

 

"Okay, great. Uh, there's also this gathering Scott is holding this weekend, but I'll tell you about it later. See you, Theo." With that Liam left and Theo returned to the oh so important task of wiping the already clean counter.

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

 

"Hi," Liam said as he opened the door, pulling Theo into a hug. They've never hugged before, not like this. It was... surprisingly nice. If felt good. Theo found himself falling into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Liam's back and burrowing into his warmth and scent. This felt  _ really _ nice.

 

Theo reluctantly pulled away from the hug, feeling cold. "Uh, right. Let's go in," Liam said, pulling him by the wrist. What's with all the touching? Not that he was complaining, not at all. He definitely wanted Liam to touch him more.

 

"Theo!" Liam's mom greeted from the kitchen, and Theo felt himself go red, recalling the last time he saw her. "Are you joining us for dinner." It wasn't really a question.

 

"Mom-" Liam started whining, but he was quickly cut off by his mother.

 

"Don't be rude, Liam. Also, leave that boy's wrist alone, you're cutting off circulation." Liam immediately dropped his hold, which truly was unnecessarily tight.

 

"Fine," Liam said. "We'll go wash our hands."

 

"You do that," she said, eying them both. "Be quick about it, dinner is ready and you won't want it to get cold."

 

Oh god, yeah, no. Theo wanted to die. Her look definitely screamed 'don’t go screwing my son while my casserole is cooling.’

 

* * *

Dinner wasn't necessarily awkward, but Theo had never felt more unease in his life. It was probably just him since both Liam and Jenna were acting just fine.

 

The little shit was even trying to hold his hand under the table, and Theo could feel Jenna's eyes on him every time Liam made contact like she  _ knew _ . He'd never felt more conflicted feelings either. The desire to feel Liam's skin and the utter mortification from Jenna's knowing gaze.

 

He couldn't be happier to be finished with dinner. Jenna excused them from doing the dishes, and while usually he would insist, this time he took Liam's lead and bailed.

 

They practically ran up the stairs to Liam's room. Liam quickly shut the door behind them, grinning.

 

“What,” Theo asked, fidgeting under Liam's scrutinizing gaze.

 

“You're so cute,” Liam said, stepping away from the door. He got closer, one hand reaching out and trailing his fingers down Theo's chest lightly.

 

“What were you doing last night,” he asked lowly, and Theo's heart raced. “Everything was so  _ wet _ in the picture. Did you fuck your bed?” Liam's eyes were dark as he stared up at Theo, fingers resting low on Theo's stomach.

 

Theo nodded slowly, mouth too dry to form any words.

 

Liam's fingers slipped under his shirt, nails scratching his skin.

 

“What were you thinking about?”

 

Theo had to squeeze his eyes shut, overwhelmed by Liam's voice and scent, his words.

 

“You,” he whispered, making Liam groaned. As if it wasn't obvious he was thinking about Liam.

 

Liam's fingers slipped lower, hooking under the waistband of his jeans and pulling Theo closer.

 

“Wanna make out?” He asked, grinning.

 

“Yeah,” Theo nodded enthusiastically. Again, pretty obvious.

 

Liam’s grinned turned devilish as he shoved Theo onto his bed, climbing up after him. Theo was putty in his hands, as Liam arranged him how he wanted; both laying on their sides, facing each other. It was almost tame, not what Theo expected, but Liam’s mom was home and suspicious as it was.

 

“Come here,” Liam whispered, his warm hand on Theo’s cheek pulling him closer. Their lips barely touched, just a soft brush, but Theo felt heady and dazed already. He pushed forward, trying to press his lips harder against Liam but the bastard just pulled away, pressing his lips to the corner of Theo’s mouth instead.

 

“Liam,” he warned, mouth parting to try and catch Liam’s bottom lip between his. Liam pressed closer, his hand moving down to Theo’s hip while Theo sucked at his lip, tasting Liam’s mouth.

 

Theo hummed as Liam’s lips parted, their open mouths pressed together, breathing the same warm, damp air.

 

_ “Liam,” _ he warned again, as Liam kept the touches light and teasing. “Didn’t you say something about making out?”

 

Liam grinned, tongue flicking out and swiping against Theo’s bottom lip. “Yeah,” he said, still not making any move to actually kiss Theo as promised.

 

“You’re a little shit.”

 

Liam snorted, and suddenly he was moving, pushing Theo on his back and climbing over him. “Like this?” he asked, settling over Theo’s lap, his head bowed. His eyes were dark and sultry in a way Theo never thought Liam to look.

 

Liam leaned lower, tongue slipping into Theo’s still parted mouth easily. Theo could taste the dinner they just had. He moaned into the kiss, hands moving to grip Liam’s back but before he could do so Liam grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them to the bead, above Theo’s head. The quick motion rocked the bed, the springs creaking loudly. They both paused, listening to the other sounds in the house.

 

Theo stared wide-eyed at Liam, heart hammering in his chest.

 

“Uh, we should probably be quiet,” Liam said, and  _ fuck _ , after the previous night Theo knew he  _ couldn’t  _ be quiet.

 

“Can you...kiss me like a normal person?” he asked, eyes narrowed. Liam hummed thoughtfully, still holding Theo’s wrists tightly. I was actually nice, he expected to feel the need to escape, but instead, he simply felt Liam’s warmth seeping into his skin.

 

“Like this?” Liam asked, leaning down and pressing his lips to Theo’s in a chaste, close-mouthed kiss.

 

Fuck, Liam really liked to tease.

 

Theo whined, eyes rolling to the ceiling in frustration. What had he got himself into?

 

“Maybe like this?” Liam kissed his cheek wetly, leaving cooling spit behind. Uh, gross.

 

“Liam,” he tried warning again, but seriously, when did Liam ever listen to Theo?

 

“Oh, I know…” Liam went on to press his lips to every inch of Theo’s face and neck, soft and sweet and so so frustrating.

 

“I hate you,” Theo whined, eyes closing. Liam was an evil tease, but he seemed to enjoy drawing this out. Theo didn’t know how to tell him to  _ stop _ , that he had had  _ enough _ , so he might as well enjoy what he got. It was sort of relaxing, and the day’s exhaustion crept up on him, making him feel heavy and drowsy. He didn’t want to fall asleep on Liam,  _ again _ , but Liam wasn’t doing anything to help the matter.

 

Liam kissing his ear and whispering ‘you’re perfect’ in a soft, sincere voice, right before he fell asleep, was a nice touch.


End file.
